Recognized Excellence in CABG at Dignity Health in Arizona
Heart bypass surgery is also called artery bypass graft surgery or CABG. CABG is a treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as heart disease. CAD is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle.
Renowned Dignity Health doctors perform CABG in Arizona. We are a nationally recognized leader in cardiovascular care, with two first-class facilities in the Arizona area: St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Chandler Regional Medical Center. Use our online Find a Doctor tool to make an appointment today.
Why Doctors Perform CABG
Poor blood flow to the heart muscle can cause a heart attack. Doctors perform heart bypass surgery to restore normal blood flow to the heart muscle and reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Your doctor may recommend heart bypass surgery if catheter-based procedures like angioplasty and stenting aren’t the right choice for you.
Heart bypass surgery is also an emergency treatment for a heart attack. This may be necessary if other heart attack treatments (s)uch as angioplasty aren’t working.
Dignity Health hospitals are Accredited Chest Pain Centers designated by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. This recognition is given to hospitals that have achieved a high level of expertise in treating patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack.
What to Expect from CABG
A cardiac surgeon will perform your heart bypass surgery in a Dignity Health hospital. The procedure creates a new route for blood to flow around the blocked part of the coronary artery to the heart muscle. Your doctor will take a blood vessel from somewhere else — usually the chest wall or lower leg — and graft it around the blockage.
There are three ways to perform heart bypass surgery:
- On-pump open heart uses a heart-lung machine to divert blood from the heart. The surgeon operates on a still heart clear of blood.
- Off-pump open heart does not use a heart-lung machine. The heart is beating, which makes the surgery more difficult. However, some studies show there may be fewer complications.
- Minimally invasive surgery uses smaller incisions without fully opening the chest.
Heart bypass surgery can take up to six hours, and you’ll spend several days in the hospital.
How Your Everyday Life May Be Different After CABG
You’ll need to take it easy for several weeks after heart bypass surgery. Most people return to work within six weeks. Ask your doctor about returning to exercise and other strenuous activities. Cardiac rehabilitation can help you recover and return to daily living. In general, a full recovery takes about 12 weeks.
Heart bypass surgery doesn’t prevent future problems. Get tips from Dignity Health to help reduce your risk such as being physically active and eating a heart-healthy diet.
Dignity Health performs leading-edge CABG, also known as heart bypass surgery, in Arizona.