
Quadruple bypass surgery refers to the number of coronary arteries that have to be operated upon to restore the normal blood flow to the heart. This article provides some information about this surgery.
Heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood to the body. The coronary arteries in the heart carry blood and oxygen to the heart. The coronary arteries become clogged by the excessive build up of cholesterol, fats, and other substances. This slows down the flow of blood through the blood vessels of the heart which increases the risk of heart disease like heart attack and chest pain. One can reduce the risk of a heart disease by increasing the flow of blood through the heart muscle.
What is Quadruple Bypass Surgery?
The quadruple bypass surgery, also referred to as CABG (cabbage) is a type of heart surgery that helps clear all the blocked arteries. The surgery helps in removing the blockage of arteries and restores the adequate supply of blood flow to the heart. The surgeons remove a segment of the healthy blood vessel from another part in the body and detour it towards the blocked artery in the heart.
This surgery can be carried out by detaching the artery from the chest wall and attaching the open end to the coronary artery below the blocked area. In some cases, a piece of long vein in the leg may be sewn above the blocked area and the other end grafted to the coronary artery below the blocked area. These two procedures help in giving a new path to the blood and allow it to flow freely in the muscles of the heart.
One may require one or more than one grafts to help restore the free flow of blood. The most common apparatus or machine used in the surgery is the cardiopulmonary bypass with a pump oxygenator. This means in simple language, the heart-lung machine. The other members besides the cardiac surgeon include the cardiac anesthesiologist, surgical nurses, and a perfusionist.
Surgery Recovery
The surgery takes 4 to 6 hours or even longer to perform. The affected person may be hospitalized for 4 to 7 days, after the surgery. The recovery takes three to four months. The affected person is able to perform sedentary jobs like office work within four to six weeks. The recovery time, for starting back strenuous work takes a longer time. One may even have to change his or her job.
Surgery Survival Rate
The survival rate and those who are treated with drugs show that after 5 years the survival rate shows no significant difference. The survival rate is about 82% and the survival rate for non-surgical treatment is 78%.
Surgery Risks
The risks are far greater than angioplasty, however, the rate of success for angioplasty is lower than quadruple bypass surgery. The risks may include heart attack, stroke, infection, cognition problems, anesthesia complications, bleeding, narrowing of the graft, and even death. One may be affected by recurring chest pains.
Life Expectancy
The life expectancy generally is 10 to 15 years. There are many factors that can affect the life expectancy. One should quit smoking, decrease alcohol intake, lower intake of fatty foods, exercise more often, and bring about a change in lifestyle, which may help in increasing the life expectancy.
Surgery Cost
The surgery cost is estimated to be about USD 45,000. One needs to ask the health care provider to get a proper estimate for a cost in each individual case.
One needs to quit smoking and take up eating healthy food to reduce the stress on his/her heart and reduce the risks that affect the heart health. Heart, one of the most important body organs, manages to pump 5 million gallons of blood throughout the body. Stay healthy, eat healthy, and live healthy to make sure that the heart keeps beating and pumping blood the entire life without any kind of complications.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.