Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), often called simply “bypass,” is a surgical procedure that enables blood flow to be rerouted around the site of a blockage in a coronary artery, restoring blood flow. During bypass surgery, a healthy artery or vein is taken from a leg, an arm, or the chest, and is grafted to the outside of the heart. The grafted artery is positioned so that the blood bypasses the blockage in the coronary artery. CABG is usually performed in people with more serious or more extensive blockages that cannot be fixed by other treatments.