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Coronary artery disease afflicts a large number of Americans. When cholesterol and calcium build up in the arteries (the vessels that pump blood from the heart throughout the body), this can cause blockages or “hardening” of one or more arteries. If left untreated, the blockages can cause a heart attack.
The most common surgical treatment for coronary artery disease is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This procedure has proven to lower the risk of future heart attack and the need for additional procedures. It has also proven to result in less chest pain (often referred to as “angina”) and a longer life expectancy.
Why choose Weill Cornell Medicine for CABG surgery?
Our outcomes are consistently among the best in New York State and routinely exceed the national average. The most current mortality rate for CABG surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine is only 0.085%.
Our patients also benefit from our:
● Expertise in performing CABG for elderly patients (age 80 and older)
● Expertise in performing CABG for patients with other medical conditions
● Range of CABG surgical approaches—including traditional, open-heart surgery and minimally invasive techniques—to treat all patients
● Access to world-class imaging technology for the most accurate diagnosis possible
● Commitment to individualized care
CABG procedure
Before surgery, our surgical team carefully analyzes the coronary angiograms and performs ultrasound testing to determine the best approach.
During CABG surgery, the surgeon takes a blood vessel from the chest, arms, or legs and uses it to route blood around blockages in the coronary arteries in order to restore adequate blood circulation to the heart.
Our surgeons take a modernized approach to coronary bypass surgery in order to maximize the durability of this operation for our patients. Research shows that using arteries instead of veins to perform the bypass improves the durability of the bypass grafts. Many patients are candidates for CABG using multiple arterial grafts
In select cases, coronary artery bypass grafting can be performed without the use of the heart-lung machine. In this "beating heart" (also called off-pump) technique, a small vertical incision is made in the chest, and a mechanical stabilizing device is used to restrict movement of the heart so that the surgeon can perform surgery while the heart is beating. The heart maintains its own rhythm without the assistance of the heart-lung machine.
