The coronary artery system is the system that provides fresh, oxygenated blood to the muscles of the heart. While the heart itself is responsible for pumping blood around the body, it needs its own supply of blood so that the muscles are nourished and provided with oxygen. This system of arteries has a property that makes them unique. The quantity of blood flow automatically increases as the body demands more blood for the heart when the heart is under stress due to extra blood requirement anywhere in the body. The coronary arteries are fairly narrow, making them susceptible to blockages. These blockages could lead to serious heart trouble. In most cases, the blockages are discovered as a result of some medical test that is conducted. Many patients report pain in their heart when they undergo heavy physical exertion. This is because the heart is able to function normally under no load but gets strained when the blood supply is less than what is required under stress. This less than normal blood supply occurs due to a problem with the coronary arteries.
A coronary artery bypass procedure is a procedure to insert a part of an artery, harvested from elsewhere in the body, to help the blood bypass a blockage or problem area. This process allows the flow of blood to return to its normal level before the blockage has developed. If the block is complete, then the patient will have a heart attack. Most blocks are partial. A coronary artery bypass procedure involves the removal of a part of an artery from elsewhere in the body and the insertion of that artery into the blood supply system of the heart such that the blood flows around a blockage or damaged vessel. This must be done by highly trained doctors and is not a simple and easy procedure.
A coronary artery bypass procedure is a long and difficult procedure which lasts for many hours. There are many coronary artery bypass graft complications that could affect patients. Some of these complications are related directly to normal surgical complications while others are unique coronary artery bypass graft complications. The normal surgical complications include internal bleeding, clotting, infection and chronic pain at the location of the operation. The other, more unique coronary artery bypass graft complications include various life threatening problems like stroke, embolism, heart rhythm problems, excessive blood loss due to a ruptured bypass, and the like.