Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
What is Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting? (CABG)
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) (often pronounced “cabbage”) is the most commonly performed “open heart” operation in the United States. Cardiothoracic surgeons perform the procedure to bypass blockages or obstructions of the coronary arteries.
The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that branch from the base of the aorta and supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients. The heart relies on a constant supply of these nutrients as it works to consistently pump blood throughout the body.
Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries become blocked, causing serious, often fatal results. Because of a blockage or obstruction, the heart does not obtain the oxygen it needs to distribute the blood. When the shortage of oxygen becomes critical enough, the heart muscle begins to breakdown, causing a “heart attack,” or myocardial infarction.
Conventional Bypass Grafting
Cardiothoracic surgeons traditionally perform bypass grafting by making a large incision down the front of the chest through the breastbone or sternum. Through this incision, the surgeon can see the surface of the heart and aorta. This procedure requires that the patient be connected to a heart lung machine while the bypasses are being performed. The heart can then be stopped using cardioplegia, a mixture of special chemicals. Once the bypasses have been completed, the patient is then taken off the machine and the heart takes over once again.
da Vinci Bypass Grafting
Surgeons are now able to perform minimally invasive bypass surgery with the da Vinci® S Surgical System. The miniaturized instruments of the da Vinci robot allow the surgeon to access the heart and its vessels through tiny incisions in the chest, rather than creating a large incision through the breastbone or sternum.
The robotic procedure also allows the heart to continue pumping blood throughout the body without the aid of a heart lung machine. A surgeon can conduct the bypass operation on the beating heart.
The InSite Vision System gives the surgeon a three-dimensional view, magnified 10 times, of the tissues and organs. Sitting at a console a few feet away from the patient, the surgeon operates the robot using hand and foot controls. When the surgeon adjusts the controls, the robot’s instruments precisely interpret the surgeon’s movements simultaneously. This provides the surgeon with natural hand-eye coordination. With the robot calculating every movement of the surgeon’s hands and wrists, it provides complete flexibility and total control when operating on delicate tissue.
da Vinci Bypass Surgery – Patient Benefits
For patients undergoing bypass surgery with the da Vinci robot, the smaller incisions result in less blood loss, pain, and usually a shorter hospital stay. A faster recovery and a quicker return to normal activities can also be experienced as a result of minimally invasive robotic surgery.
For more information regarding coronary artery bypass surgery, please call 1-877-STFRANCIS.
