Coronary bypass surgery is one of the ways to treat blockages caused by coronary artery disease, or atherosclerosis. For many types and pattern of blockages, surgery is the best option.
 
At its most basic, the surgery involves opening your chest to get access to your heart and using heart-lung machine to take over the functions of those two organs during surgery. Internal mammary arteries from the chest wall and vein grafts from your legs will be used to form new blood channels around the clogged arteries, thus ensuring your heart muscle receives a relatively normal blood supply.
 
After the operation, you will go into the intensive care until where you will be closely monitored until your heart and lungs are fully functional. Most patients move out of the intensive care unit one day following surgery. Of course, patients who are smokers usually face longer stays on the ventilator and in ICU.

It is important to remember that other organs can be affected by the coronary artery disease, which can add to the normal risks of any surgery. If it is determined that your risk is too high, other forms of therapy will be advised.

The good news is at a very large majority of patients come through coronary bypass surgery with few problems and enjoy a longer and better quality of life as a consequence. You will be asked to alter some aspects of your lifestyle to improve results. Please follow all post-operative instructions, and if you have any questions about the surgery, please be sure to ask.