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Coronary artery disease is a heart condition where the arteries supplying oxygenated blood to the heart become constricted or blocked. There are two types of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgeries, the on-pump conventional surgery and the newer off-pump CABG. Both techniques are effective treatments for coronary artery disease.
Traditional On-Pump CABG Surgery
On-pump CABG has been successfully performed for decades. This open-heart surgery uses a heart-lung machine to pump oxygenated blood to the heart temporarily. This allows the surgeons to perform the surgery more easily and replace the diseased vessels with new, healthy blood vessels taken from other areas of the body.
There are three main parts of a heart-lung machine:
- The Reservoir is a container that collects oxygen-depleted blood drained from the heart
- The Oxygenator acts as the patient’s lungs and adds oxygen to the blood.
- The Pump serves as the heart and sends oxygen-rich blood from the machine back through the aorta.
During traditional CABG surgery, the heart is connected to the heart-lung machine through tubes called cannulas. Once the machine has taken over the heart’s functions, the heart is temporarily stopped by administering a medication called cardioplegia. After the surgery, the patient is weaned off the machine, and the heart and lungs are restarted.
However, using the heart-lung machine may damage fragile blood cells and create clots. Handling the aorta can also cause atherosclerotic plaque to become detached from its walls and cause blockages in the brain’s blood vessels.
Off-Pump CABG Offers Several Advantages
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) continues to be improved, and in recent years, a new technique has become effective in overcoming some of the problems of traditional CABG surgery.
The term “off-pump” means the technique has eliminated the need for a heart-lung machine. This offers several advantages, including:
- Reducing blood loss during and after surgery
- Shortening the surgical and anesthetic durations
- Reducing the risk of complications associated with heart-lung machines
- The elimination of the use of the heart-lung machine also speeds up the patient’s recovery process
These positives can lead to a patient’s shorter hospital stay and swift return to regular life.
Stabilize without Stopping the Heart
The technique uses specialized equipment to stabilize the part of the aorta targeted for bypass grafting without stopping the heart. This allows the surgeon to create a tiny opening in the aorta and sew one end of a healthy blood vessel to the aorta and the other end to an opening just below the blockage.
In many cases, the technique can also enable the surgeon to create a smaller incision in the chest and avoid the full open-heart procedure of the traditional CABG technique. Undergoing a full open-heart procedure can increase the risk of infection.
When is Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery Required?
Coronary artery disease can be caused by high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity or a family history of heart disease. These risk factors can cause the seven coronary arteries to become narrowed or blocked by fatty material accumulating on the artery’s interior. People who have coronary artery disease may experience the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Palpitations (rapid heartbeat)
- Swelling of the hands and feet (edema)
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Indigestion
The symptoms can occur more frequently as the patient’s condition worsens.
Vejthani International Hospital Offers On-Pump and Off-Pump CABG
Vejthani International Hospital has extensive experience in both on-pump and off-pump CABG surgery techniques. Off-pump CABG has become a safe and effective alternative technique that eliminates the risks associated with heart-lung machines. We have a highly trained and experienced team of surgeons that can provide high-quality care and treatment of coronary artery disease using the off-pump CABG technique.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of coronary artery disease, please make an appointment with Vejthani International Hospital’s Cardiac Center today.
For more information, please contact
Cardiac Center, Vejthani Hospital
Call: (+66)2-734-0000 Ext. 5300
English Hotline: (+66)85-223-8888
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