Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

What is Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?

Your heart gets its blood supply from coronary arteries, but sometimes blockages or severe narrowing in the arteries reduces that blood supply and affects the heart’s ability to function.

A coronary artery bypass graft—or bypass surgery—involves taking a blood vessel from another part of your body and using it to bypass the blocked artery, restoring blood flow to the heart.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (sometimes called CABG or “cabbage” for short) is the most common type of procedure known as revascularization.

This procedure is generally for patients who have blockage of their main left-side coronary arteries or blockage of all three coronary arteries. Patients with one or two blocked arteries not in those locations may sometimes undergo angioplasty and stenting instead.

UR Medicine's Treatments for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

CABG is major surgery that usually takes four to eight hours to complete. Here’s how it works:

Your chest is opened up to expose your heart.
A healthy section of blood vessel is removed from another part of the body, typically from inside the chest wall or the arm or leg.
In some cases, doctors will place patients on a heart-lung machine to take over the task of circulating blood through the body.
The blood vessel is then grafted to your coronary artery, creating a detour around the blockage and restoring blood flow.

Most patients will stay in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for one or two days, and then in a step-down unit for an additional three to five days.

For most people, CABG surgery extends the length and quality of their life.

Most patients who undergo the procedure with UR Medicine experience long-term success. Many no longer have symptoms and may even feel more energetic.

Patient Stories

Duff's Story

His heart stopped beating without warning. Here's what happened next.

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine is a referral center for the most complex heart surgeries, which means that other hospitals in Upstate New York send their most challenging cases to us. We’re well versed in the latest procedures that make bypass surgery less traumatic.

These other hospitals trust us because UR Medicine Cardiac Care leads the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region in the number and scope of specialized services. We use arterial grafts to achieve the longest-lasting results.

We have a full range of expertise. Our team includes cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, general and interventional cardiologists, and cardiovascular imaging specialists.