What does heart bypass mean?

Heart bypass surgery is a relatively common operation in clinical practice, and is generally used to treat patients with coronary heart disease. Of course, heart bypass surgery may be used for certain heart diseases. Many people do not have a deep understanding of heart bypass surgery, so many people do not know what heart bypass surgery means. In this case, patients can learn more about the specific meaning and postoperative care of heart bypass surgery.

Heart bypass, commonly known as coronary artery bypass grafting, is internationally recognized as the most effective method for treating coronary heart disease. There are two types of heart bypass surgery: on-beat heart bypass surgery and off-beat heart bypass surgery. Coronary artery stenosis in coronary heart disease is often distributed in segments. They are mainly located in the proximal and middle segments of the coronary arteries, while the distal segments are mostly normal. Coronary artery bypass grafting is to create a channel between the proximal and distal ends of the coronary artery stenosis, allowing blood to bypass the stenosis and reach the distal end. The heart pumps blood day and night, delivering nutrients to organs and tissues throughout the body. However, the heart's own muscle tissue, which acts as a pump, also requires oxygen and nutrients, which are provided by the coronary artery system. If coronary atherosclerosis causes stenosis or occlusion of the lumen, it will lead to ischemia of the myocardium supplied by this section of the coronary artery, and in severe cases, myocardial infarction may occur.

As the name suggests, bypass surgery involves taking the patient's own blood vessels (such as the broad internal thoracic artery, the great saphenous vein of the lower limb, etc.) or vascular substitutes, connecting the distal end of the narrowed coronary artery to the aorta, allowing blood to bypass the narrow part and reach the ischemic area, thereby improving myocardial blood supply, thereby relieving angina symptoms, improving heart function, and improving the patient's quality of life and prolonging life. This operation is called coronary artery bypass grafting, which establishes a clear path between the aorta root filled with arterial blood and the ischemic myocardium. Therefore, some people figuratively call it building a "bridge" across the heart, commonly known as "bypass surgery."

Heart bypass surgery, which involves bypassing blocked arteries to improve blood and oxygen supply to the heart, can affect patients' memory and mental function, to the point that about a third of patients still have detectable mental dysfunction five years after surgery. In order to reduce and lower the risk, the grafted segment of the coronary artery bypass graft must be kept open to reduce the need for repeated coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In patients who have just undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, depression can triple the risk of heart disease within the first year after surgery.