Performing Heart Bypass Surgery in Northern California
Heart bypass surgery — or, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery — creates a new route for blood to reach the heart. Your doctor may recommend CABG surgery if you have severe coronary artery disease that critically restricts blood flow to your heart muscle.
Dignity Health North State provides life-extending treatments for people with heart disease. Find a Doctor today to learn if you could benefit from heart bypass surgery in Northern California.
Types of Heart Bypass Surgery at Dignity Health North State
Your doctor may recommend heart surgery if you have:
- Experienced a massive heart attack that requires immediate, aggressive intervention
- Blockages in multiple arteries
- Previously had a heart catheterization procedure that did not work
Your condition and overall health will help determine the best type of heart bypass surgery for you. Heart bypass surgery types include:
- Traditional on-pump surgery — the most common bypass surgery. Also called open heart bypass surgery due to a large incision that exposes the heart. A heart-lung machine circulates your blood, allowing the surgeon to repair your heart when it is not beating.
- Beating-heart (off-pump) surgery — open heart surgery that does not use a heart-lung machine or stop the heart. Instead, medication is used to slow your heartbeat, and your surgeon operates while the heart continues to beat. This procedure lowers the risk for patients who are highly prone to stroke.
- Robot-assisted heart bypass surgery — a minimally invasive surgery where your surgeon makes very precise repairs using a computer-controlled surgical machine and a monitor showing a three-dimensional image of the surgical area. This procedure avoids the need for a large incision, which can take a long time to heal.
Know What to Expect
Heart bypass is a major surgery, requiring several days of in-hospital observation after completion. Minimally invasive procedures typically involve shorter hospital stays and fewer complications than open heart surgery. Talk with your doctor about the risks associated with any procedure so you will know what to expect and how to prepare.
Recovering from Your Surgery
You will stay in a specialized intensive care unit for at least 24 hours after you wake up from surgery. You may be connected to a ventilator to help your breathing.
When you are able to breath on your own, you will move to a cardiac care unit for a period of time for observation. Your Dignity Health North State care team will give you instructions for post-surgery diet, exercise, and approved activities.
You should expect to recover slowly over several weeks. As your recovery progresses, you may experience a gradual increase of energy.
Concerned about developing symptoms of heart disease? Discuss your concerns with a Dignity Health North State cardiologist.
Dignity Health North State delivers high quality care and advanced treatment options, including heart bypass surgery, in Mt. Shasta, Red Bluff, and Redding, CA.