Cardiovascular Surgery, It's a matter
of the heart...
          by Delois Spencer

The heart is a hollow, muscular organ, about the size of a person’s clenched fist, and is located behind the breast bone, slightly left of the center. It is divided into two halves. The right side pumps the blood into the lungs. The left side receives the blood from the lungs after it has received a new supply of oxygen and then pumps the blood throughout the body.

The most common heart problems have to do with nourishment of the heart muscle, the myocardium. The coronary arteries carry bright red blood, which has fresh oxygen and nutrients, to the heart muscle. If a coronary artery should become blocked or occluded at any point in the artery, the blood flow through the artery is decreased and the muscle beyond this point does not receive the nutrients and oxygen it requires. Complete blockage of an artery may lead to death of the heart muscle, or a heart attack. Threat of a damaged heart muscle still exists even if a coronary artery is not completely occluded. This may lead to a recommendation by the doctor for bypass surgery.

Atherosclerosis (“ Hardening of the Arteries”) Healthy artery walls are smooth and free of blockage; however, the formation of atheromas or fat-like deposits, may develop in the inner lining of an artery. These deposits are called plaque and are composed of substances which normally circulate in the blood, such as cholesterol or triglycerides. This plaque may build up over a period of years and hinder the flow of blood through the arteries. Coronary arteries are among the first to show this narrowing. All arteries of the body, however, may be affected by atherosclerosis.

Coronary artery bypass surgery (often referred to as C.A.B.G.) is performed to restore adequate blood supply to heart muscle. A vein removed from the leg, an artery from the arm, an artery in the chest (mammary artery) or an artery in the abdomen (inferior epigastric or gastroepiploic), may be used during surgery to bypass the blockage in the coronary artery. This bypass graft acts as a bridge to obstructed area of blood flow.