Why is coronary bypass surgery a good thing?!
Question: I need this answered for my science class
i understand that it helps prevent another heart attack but why else is it a good thing?
Answers: I need this answered for my science class
i understand that it helps prevent another heart attack but why else is it a good thing?
There are a number of ways to treat blockages of the heart (coronary) arteries. First, you can treat medically by giving medicines that decrease the load on the heart. This decreases the amount of oxygen it needs and therefore the amount of blood it needs. This can help improve the ability to exercise, but in the end, does nothing to remove the blockages or improve blood flow. Second, the blockages can be approached from inside the arteries by cardiac catherization. Very fine catheters are sent up the main arteries of the leg (usually) and used to shoot dye into the heart arteries. Once the blockages are mapped, there are a great number of very specialized catheters that can either push open the blockages (angioplasty) or actually remove blockages (atherectomy). The arteries are then usually propped open using a special metal tube, called a stent. This often works quite well, and doesn't require much of a recovery period. The last way is by surgery; coronary artery bypass grafting sometimes called CABG, ACBG and other acronyms. Surgery may be necessary for a number of reasons, but usually because the artery that is blocked either can't be opened, and has to be bypassed, or if the blockage is in just the wrong place. If the blockage is in just the wrong place then patients can die during a catherization, or can require much more risky emergency surgery. In this case, then surgery on an elective basis is much safer. Lastly, surgery would be necessary if something goes badly wrong during an angioplasty.
Why is bypass a good thing? In short, it is the only answer when it is required. In addition, after surgery, there is less risk of sudden death than there is after angioplasty and stent.
There haven't really been any studies that show that bypass makes you live any longer than angioplasty and stent.
Hope that answers the question
Coronary bypass surgery is done because the small blood vessels in the heart are blocked. A vein is removed from elsewhere in the body (usually the foot or the leg) and is surgically attached to the blood vessels on the heart so that the blood can get around the blockage, sort of like making a bridge.
If these coronary blood vessels are blocked, parts of the heart cannot get blood and therefore cannot get oxygen. Without oxygen, tissue dies.
So, it's a very good thing!
Coronary artery bypass aka CABG is basically dones so that sufficent blood supply can return to which ever area of the heart that vessel leads to. CABG is done due to blocked arteries. When they are blocked blood which carries oxygen can pass through and feed the heart and other areas of the body. It prevents heart attacks, heart failure, cardiomyopathy and can reduce blood pressure if the blockage is creating it and reduce the risk of arrhythmias due to insufficient blood supply. If needed CABG is a very good thing. It can save a persons life!
It can help change your lifestyle. Usually this procedure is considered to help relieve symptoms caused by narrowing of the arteries. ( of course as they continue to narrow you run the risk of a heart attack ) but also as they narrow you tend to get other symptoms that affect your life .. like you get more tired, shortness of breath, weight gain. So in addition to preventing a heart attack and death it would hopefully help address these other things.
might find more information here, ( has videos, blogs, questions )
http://www.medicalcrunch.com/treatments/...
good luck.
- nid.
You get flowers, you don't die early, people you haven't heard from in years call you.