If a coronary artery develops an area of blockage, it may interfere with blood
flow. This may result in chest pain or other symptoms. When the pain and other
symptoms cannot be managed with lifestyle changes, medication, or procedures
performed during a cardiac catheterization, surgery may be the treatment option.
When bypass surgery is performed, the doctor takes a vein from the patient’s leg
or an artery from the patient’s chest. One end is attached to the heart’s main blood
vessel, the aorta. The other end is attached beyond the narrowed portion of the
coronary artery. The blood flows through the vein, bypassing (going around) the
blockage. More than one blockage can be bypassed during surgery.
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