Coronary artery disease varies a lot from person to person, so the way it is diagnosed and treated varies. Heart bypass surgery is just one treatment. It is not right for everyone.

Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, even drugs or herbs you bought without a prescription.

During the days before the surgery:

• For the 2-week period before surgery you may be asked to stop taking drugs that make it harder for your blood to clot. These might cause increased bleeding during the surgery. They include aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil and Motrin), naproxen (such as Aleve and Naprosyn), and other similar drugs. If you are taking clopidogrel (Plavix), ask your surgeon when you should stop taking it before surgery.
• Ask your doctor which drugs you should still take on the day of the surgery.
• If you smoke, try to stop. Ask your doctor for help.
• Contact your doctor if you have a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or any other illness.
• Prepare your home so you can move around easily when you return from the hospital.

The day before your surgery:

• Shower and shampoo well.
• You may be asked to wash your whole body below your neck with a special soap. Scrub your chest 2 or 3 times with this soap.
• You also may be asked to take an antibiotic to guard against infection.

On the day of the surgery:

• You will usually be asked not to drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes chewing gum and using breath mints. Rinse your mouth with water if it feels dry, but be careful not to swallow.
• Take your drugs your doctor told you to take with a small sip of water.

Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to arrive at the hospital.

You may be able to leave the hospital 2 or 3 days after your surgery. You may also be able to return to normal activities after 2 or 3 weeks.

Recovery from surgery takes time, and you may not see the full benefits of your surgery for 3 to 6 months. In most people who have heart bypass surgery, the grafts remain open and work well for many years.

This surgery does not prevent a blockage from coming back. However, you can do many things to slow it down. Not smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and treating high blood pressure, high blood sugar (if you have diabetes), and high cholesterol will all help.

You may be more likely to have problems with your blood vessels if you have kidney disease or some other medical problems.

Images

Posterior heart arteries

Coronary artery stent

Heart, front view

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Heart bypass surgery Risks

Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland , TX Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)