Coronary Bypass

Coronary bypass surgery helps angina sufferers

Today one of the most common forms of cardiovascular surgery is the coronary artery bypass graft. This procedure relieves angina caused by blocked coronary arteries. Surgeons take a vein from the patient's leg vein and attach one end to the aorta and the other end to the coronary artery. This creates a "bypass" around the blockage, supplying the heart muscle with sufficient oxygen and relieving the strangling pain of angina.

When it was first introduced in the late 1960s, an estimated 3 million Americans suffered from angina. By 1972, almost 20,000 bypass procedures were being performed per year.

Now, an estimated 7 million Americans suffer from angina. Some are treated with bypass surgery, and some undergo less invasive balloon angioplasty.