Blood is pumped by your heart, carrying oxygen to every part of your body. Similar to every other organ in your body, your heart depends on oxygen to function. Your heart's surface coronary arteries are responsible for supplying blood to the heart muscle. A section of your heart muscle dies when the blood supply to it becomes restricted or slows down. This is referred to as a heart attack.

The majority of your heart continues to function normally during a heart attack because only a small portion of your heart muscle is damaged. Still, more heart tissue might be harmed if you suffer another heart attack.

Heart attacks were a common cause of death in the past. People can occasionally still pass away from a heart attack if there is sufficient damage to the heart muscle. However, heart attacks do not occur suddenly. As an alternative, they occur over several hours, if not longer. With today's sophisticated medical care and fast assistance, the majority of people survive. However, the heart muscle is no longer in as good of condition as it was following a heart attack. Thus, heart attacks may result in arrhythmias or heart failure, among other cardiac issues.

Other terms for myocardial infarction (Ml) include coronary, coronary thrombosis, and coronary attack.

What is the cause of Heart Attack?

Usually, plaque accumulation in the coronary arteries leads to a heart attack. Fatty substances found in your blood, such as cholesterol, are what make up plaque. Slowly over time, the plaque accumulates. The coronary arteries may eventually become narrowed and hardened by plaque. Additionally, a plaque can partially or totally stop the heart's blood flow. Your heart cannot receive the necessary oxygen when plaque obstructs the blood supply to it.

Plaque accumulation that obstructs arteries is known medically as atherosclerosis. In medicine, atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is referred to as coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, heart attacks can be caused by atherosclerosis, also known as CAD.

Medical professionals believed for many years that men were primarily affected by heart attacks and CAD in general. Healthcare professionals are now aware that women also have heart disease. Thus, to find out how heart attacks differ in men and women, more clinical research is being conducted.

In order to avoid a heart attack, you must control your risk factors. Your chance of having a heart attack is influenced by a number of risk factors, many of which you can control. Your risk of developing CAD increases with the number of risk factors you have.

Risk factors you can change

• Eating high-fat foods
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Stress
• Excess weight

Risk factors you cannot change

• Age-the risk increases with age
• Gender
• Heredity-the risk increases if there is family history of heart or blood vessel disease

Other health conditions that can increase your risk

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure

To learn more, go to the Risk Factors section and the Health Conditions section (to learn about diabetes and high blood pressure).

What are the symptoms of Heart Attack?

As you may know, angina, or persistent chest pain that worsens with rest, is a classic sign of a heart attack. Doctors have discovered, though, that this is probably a more common symptom in men than in women. Men were the primary subject of earlier heart attack studies. Heart attacks in women are now being studied as well. Physicians are now aware that symptoms in men and women can vary. The following are the most typical symptoms that both men and women experience right before or during a heart attack. customary symptoms (based primarily on research on males).

• Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest
• Discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
• Shortness of breath
• A cold sweat
• Nausea or lightheadedness

Women's symptoms (from newer studies done on women)

• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Unusual fatigue
• A cold sweat
• Nausea or dizziness

According to research, men and women may experience different symptom onset times. Before or during a heart attack, men typically experience symptoms. However, women sometimes experience symptoms weeks before an attack. The following are the symptoms that women commonly experience for a month or longer before having a heart attack.

• Unusual fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Shortness of breath
• Indigestion
• Anxiety

Don't delay getting help

There are individuals who experience heart attacks but never show any symptoms. The damage to your heart from these "silent heart attacks" can be equally severe.

Don't, however, ignore symptoms if you become aware of them and hope they go away. Make a quick 911 call to obtain assistance. On the way to the hospital, paramedics may ask you to chew aspirin while they evaluate your condition upon arrival. You can prevent long-term cardiac damage by receiving prompt treatment at the hospital with specialized medications.

Tissue damage from a heart attack extends beyond the heart. A heart attack may make an individual more susceptible to arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death (SCD). Therefore, if you believe you are having a heart attack or may have had one, it is imperative that you receive the appropriate testing and treatment.

What tests could I have?

To aid in the diagnosis, your doctors may perform one or more tests if you have experienced a heart attack or are at risk of doing so. Your doctor may select the best course of treatment for you based on the test results as well. You might occasionally be referred to specialists for testing, diagnosis, and treatment. View the Your Treatment Team section for more information.

• Angiogram
• Chest X-ray
• Cholesterol Test
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

Angiogram

What is an angiogram?

Similar to an x-ray, an angiogram is a picture of your blood vessels. An angiogram displays:.

1. the efficiency with which the arteries transport blood.

2. whether there are any blockages, and if so, where they are.

In the event that your doctor suspects blockages in:, an angiogram may be prescribed.

1. Coronary arteries, or the blood vessels in your heart.

2. Peripheral arteries are the arteries that are found outside the heart.

3. carotid arteries, which are the arteries in your neck.

A cardiac catheterization precedes the angiogram. A catheter, a small, flexible tube, is inserted into an arm or groin blood vessel during a cardiac catheterization. Your doctor "steers" the catheter gently in the direction of your blocked blood vessel. Your doctor inserts the catheter and then starts the angiogram by injecting dye. The dye makes it possible for images of your blood vessels to appear on a monitor, sort of like roads on a map. Your doctor might be able to perform a procedure like balloon angioplasty right away to treat the blocked artery right away if the angiogram reveals one.

What can I expect?

In a "cath lab," your test will be conducted. When having an angiogram, you undress and put on a hospital sheet or gown. An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into your arm as you are lying on an examination table. During the procedure, the IV delivers fluids and medications. You become sleepy but not unconscious as a result of the medication. For the catheter, the doctor makes a tiny incision. You won't feel any pain because the incision site will be numbed, but you might feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. You could observe a: after the doctor injects the dye.

• Warm flushing feeling, and maybe nausea, for a minute or so
• Metallic taste when the dye reaches the blood vessels in your mouth
• Camera rotating around you to get x-rays from different angles

Chest X-ray

What is a chest x-ray?

An x-ray of your chest shows the location of your blood vessels, heart, and lungs. It displays the:.

1. The dimensions and configuration of your heart.

2. There is liquid surrounding your lungs.

Three. The location and form of your major blood vessels.

Heart disorders are among the numerous ailments that an x-ray can assist in diagnosing. In addition, the x-ray displays any cardiac devices you may have, such as pacemakers, along with the coated wires (leads) that supply energy to your heart.

What can I expect?

You undress from the waist up and change into a hospital gown before having a chest x-ray. To protect you from any excess radiation, a heavy apron made of flexible lead serves as a shield. Only a tiny quantity of radiation is used in X-rays to produce the image. You take a breath holding position in front of the x-ray machine as the picture is being taken. Typically, your physician requests two views: a side view and a back view.

Cholesterol Test

What is a cholesterol test?

A cholesterol test is a quick blood test that counts the triglycerides and other fatty compounds (cholesterol) in your blood. In your blood vessels, especially your arteries, cholesterol and other fats can accumulate. This accumulation over time may result in plaque, which may narrow and harden the arteries. Atherosclerosis, which is brought on by plaque in a blood vessel, can slow blood flow through the vessel. This plaque can eventually clog arteries:.

• If the coronary arteries (in your heart) become blocked, it can cause a heart attack.
• If the carotid arteries (in your neck) become blocked, it can cause a stroke.

So cholesterol test results are important in revealing if you are at risk for these health problems. The test looks at overall cholesterol levels as well as triglyceride levels. It also looks at two specific types of cholesterol:

• LDL or low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol)
• HDL or high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol)

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood, or mg/dl. The goal for each level is as follows:

• Total cholesterol lower than 200 mg/dl
• LDL lower than 100 mg/dl
• HDL 40 mg/dl or higher
• Triglycerides lower than 150 mg d/L

However, only your doctor can tell you what level of cholesterol is "high" for you. Your doctor considers your other risk factors when making that decision. For example, if you have no family history of heart disease, an LDL level of 160 mg/dl may be high. For someone with a strong family history of heart disease, an LDL level of 130 mg/dl or lower may be high.

What can I expect?

Before having your blood drawn for a cholesterol test, you are typically instructed to fast for 12 hours (i.e., refrain from eating or drinking anything besides water). Your arm is punctured by the technician with a needle, typically at the bend inside your elbow. Your blood is drawn into a small tube and sent to the lab for analysis.

Echocardiogram

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram, also known as an echo, is a moving, three-dimensional image of your heart. Doppler ultrasound is a component of an echo. It is comparable to the ultrasound examination given to pregnant women. People cannot hear the sound waves that are emitted by the echo machine. The waves go through the heart and over the chest. The heart's "echo" is revealed by the way the waves reflect it.

• The shape and size of your heart
• How well the heart valves are working
• How well the heart chambers are contracting
• The ejection fraction (EF), or how much blood your heart pumps with each beat

What can I expect?

You undress up to your waist for an echocardiogram, don a hospital gown, and lay on a table for the procedure. To help transmit the sound waves, the technician applies gel to your side and chest. The technician will then move a transducer, which resembles a pen, around on your side or chest. The transducer captures the sound waves' echoes. On a specialized monitor, a moving image of your heart is displayed concurrently. Depending on where you are in the test, you might be instructed to lie on your back or your side. In order for the technician to get a clear picture of your heart, you might also be asked to briefly hold your breath. A painless test is an echo. As the transducer swings back and forth, you only feel a slight pressure on your skin.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

What is an ECG?

How your heart's electrical system is functioning can be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Your heart rhythms are detected and captured by the ECG. On a paper strip, the outcomes are printed. Your doctor can determine whether: using an ECG.

• You have arrhythmias
• Your heart medication is effective
• Blocked coronary arteries (in the heart) are cutting off blood and oxygen to your heart muscle
• Your blocked coronary arteries have caused a heart attack

In all, there are three kinds of tests that record your heart's electrical activity, each for a different period of time:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)-done in the doctor's office. It records your heart rhythms for a few minutes.
• Holter monitoring– records and stores (in its memory) all of your heart rhythms for 24-48 hours.
• Event recorder-constantly records your heart rhythms. But it stores the rhythms (in its memory) only when you push a button.

What are the parts of an ECG strip?

Waves are the highest points on an electrocardiogram (ECG) strip. Your doctor can learn vital details about the functioning of your heart from all the peaks and valleys put together.

1. Your heart's atria, or upper chambers, can be seen contracting in the P-wave.

2. Your heart's lower chambers, known as the ventricles, are visible contracting in the QRS complex.

3. Your heart's ventricles are seen to be relaxing by the T-wave.

What can I expect?

You undress from the waist up, don a hospital gown, and lie on a table for an electrocardiogram (ECG). On your chest, neck, arms, and legs, up to 12 little electrode patches may be applied. The electrodes on the ECG device sense the electrical signals coming from the heart. The machine then plots a strip of graph paper with the beat of your heart on it.

What are the treatment options?

Heart attacks are frequently avoidable. Adopting a healthier lifestyle may therefore be a component of your treatment. For instance, your physician or nurse may offer advice on how to develop the habit of exercising if you don't get enough of it. See the section on Risk Factors for more information.

As part of your treatment, your physician might advise cardiac rehabilitation. You collaborate with a group of medical professionals in cardiac rehabilitation to aid in your recovery. The following team members will teach you how to prevent heart-related issues in the future.

• Shows you the best exercises for you
• Suggests new eating habits
• Orders medications to reduce your symptoms
• Helps you regain or learn new lifestyle and coping skills
• Counsels you on making lifestyle changes (for instance, ways to stop smoking or to reduce stress in your life)

Other types of treatment depend on your test results. Your doctor might suggest one or more of these medications or procedures.

Medications

• ACE inhibitors
• AnticoaguIants
• Beta Blockers
• Statins
• Vasodilators

Procedures

• Atherectomy
• Balloon Angioplasty
• Bypass Surgery
• Stent Implant

Medications

Tips for Taking Heart Medications

You may wish to learn more about some of your medications if you have a condition involving your heart or blood vessels. Several drugs that are frequently prescribed for heart or blood vessel disorders are covered in this section. You can also find some advice on how to take your prescription drugs exactly as prescribed in it. It is important that you disclose all of the drugs and supplements you take to your doctor and to any new physician you see for prescriptions. At that point, your physician can ensure that you receive the maximum benefit from your drugs. Notifying your doctor of this information also aids in preventing negative drug interactions. Every time you receive a new medication, you might also want to talk about these subjects with your physician or nurse:.

1. Your prescription's intended use, potential side effects, and rationale for taking it.

2. When and how to take prescription drugs.

Three. Should you be taking any additional prescription drugs, vitamins, minerals, or over-the-counter items.

It can occasionally take your heart several months to get used to new drugs. Therefore, it's possible that you won't notice any improvement straight away. Your doctor might need some time to figure out the right dosage. For those taking heart medication, blood tests may occasionally be required. Your doctor uses the blood tests to help him or her determine the proper dosage, which helps prevent negative side effects. If you think you no longer need your medication, that it's not working as intended, or that you feel fine without it, never stop taking it or adjust the dosage on your own. Talk to your nurse or doctor if you experience any of the following.

1. Concerns regarding the efficacy of your medications.

2. undesirable side effects.

Three. difficulty remembering to take your medication.

4. Problems covering the cost of your meds.

5. Other reasons you don't take your meds as prescribed.

6. inquiries concerning the use of any of your prescriptions.

Additionally, don't be afraid to ask your pharmacist any questions you may have regarding the best times to take your prescriptions.

ACE Inhibitors

"ACE" is short for "angiotensin-converting enzyme." ACE inhibitors are medications that help prevent your body from producing too much of a natural chemical called angiotensin II.

Some generic (and Brand) names

All medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a specific patient group or condition. Only your doctor knows which medications are appropriate for you.

• benazepril (Lotensin)
• captopril (Capoten)
• enalapril (Vasotec)
• fosinopril (Monopril)
• lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
• moexipril (Univasc) perindopril erbumine (Aceon)
• quinapril (Accupril)
• ramipril (Altace)
• trandolapril (Mavik)

What they're used for

• To treat high blood pressure
• To treat heart failure and related conditions, such as low ejection fraction (EF)
• To reduce damage after a heart attack and to help prevent further heart attacks

How they work

ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting an enzyme required for the synthesis of angiotensin II. The body uses angiotensin II to keep fluid balance and blood pressure in check. However, angiotensin II may negatively impact your heart and blood vessels over time. In addition to increasing blood pressure, it can narrow blood vessels. With ACE inhibitors, you can:

• Relax the arteries
• Lower blood pressure
• Help the heart work more effectively

Anticoagulants (Blood Thinners)

You can understand the purpose of anticoagulants by looking at the root words of the term. Anti = counter or against; coagulant = thicken or clot.

Some Generic (and Brand) Names

All medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a specific patient group or condition. Only your doctor knows which medications are appropriate for you.

• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Ticlopidine (Ticlid)
• Warfarin (Coumadin)

What They're Used For

To reduce the risk of blood clots that could lead to stroke and other medical conditions

How They Work

Anticoagulants are often called blood thinners, but they do not thin the blood. Instead, it prevents blood clots from forming in the blood. This medicine treats atherosclerosis, or a condition associated with arteries blocked with plaque. Plaque buildup can cause blood clots.

• Blood clots in the coronary arteries (which carry blood to the heart muscle) can cause angina (chest pain). A blood clot or blockage in the coronary arteries is called coronary artery disease (CAD) and can lead to a heart attack.

• A blood clot in the carotid (neck) artery can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

• Blood clots in the blood vessels of the arms or legs, called peripheral vascular disease (PVD), can cause pain.

Uses of anticoagulants include:

• It reduces blood stickiness
• Reduces the likelihood of blood clots.

Beta Blockers

Beta blockers get their name because they "block" the effects of substances like adrenaline on your body's "beta receptors."

Some generic (and brand) names

All medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a specific patient group or condition. Only your doctor knows which medications are appropriate for you.

• acebutolol (Monitan)
• atenolol (Tenormin)
• betaxolol (Kerlone)
• bisoprolol (Zebeta)
• carteolol (Cartrol)
• carvedilol (Coreg)
• labetalol (Trandate)
• metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol)
• nadolol (Corgard)
• penbutolol (Levatol)
• pindolol (Visken)
• propranolol (lnderal)
• sotalol (Betapace, Sorine)
• timolol (Blocadren)

What they're used for

To treat high blood pressure, to slow rapid arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), to stop angina (chest pain brought on by obstructed blood flow to certain areas of the heart), to stop long-term damage following a heart attack, to treat heart failure and associated conditions like low ejection fraction (EF), and to prevent angina.

How they work

These drugs prevent your sympathetic nervous system from functioning. When you are under stress or when you have certain medical disorders, your sympathetic nervous system responds. Your heart beats more quickly and forcefully when your body reacts. Additionally, your blood pressure rises. Beta blockers suppress the sympathetic nervous system's impulses. This lowers your heart rate and prevents the constriction of your blood vessels. These two steps may lead to: reduced heart rate blood pressure reduction Less angina (heart-related chest pain) fewer abnormal heart rhythms or beats (arrhythmias)

Statins (Cholesterol Medications)

Statins are commonly called cholesterol-lowering medications.

Some generic (and Brand) names

All medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA for a specific patient group or condition. Only your doctor knows which medications are appropriate for you.

• atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• fluvastatin (Lescol)
• lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor)
• pravastatin (Pravachol)
• rosuvastatin (Crestor)
• simvastatin (Zocor)

What they're used for To lower cholesterol levels To reduce the risk of conditions related to high cholesterol:

• Carotid artery disease, which can cause strokes
• Coronary artery disease (CAD), which can cause heart attacks
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which can cause leg or arm pain

How they work

Three different categories of blood lipids are affected by statin medicines. What they do is:

lowering the levels of LDL, commonly known as poor cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein

reduction of triglycerides

increasing HDL levels, commonly known as good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein,

Most of your cholesterol is produced by your liver. The liver produces more cholesterol than the body requires in those with high cholesterol levels. The additional cholesterol enters your bloodstream. Statins prevent the liver cells from overproducing cholesterol.

Vasodilators

Blood pressure reduction is one of the goals of vasodilators. Imagine the same quantity of water flowing through a 1-inch diameter hose vs a 2-inch diameter hose to comprehend how vasodilators function. The pressure on the hose walls decreases with hose size. Vasodilators are medications that can assist relax and widen blood arteries that have become constricted.

Some generic (and Brand) names

All medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA for a specific patient group or condition. Only your doctor knows which medications are appropriate for you.

• doxazosin (Cardura)
• guanabenz (Wytensin)
• guanfacine (Tenex)
• hydralazine (Apresoline)
• isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate, lsordil, lsochon)
• isosorbide mononitrate (lmdur, ISMO, Monoket methyldopa (Aldomet)
• minoxidil (Loniten)
• nitroglycerin (Minitran, Nitro-Bid, Nitro-Dur, Nitrogard, Nitrolingual, NitroQuick, Nitrostat))
• prazosin (Minipress)
• reserpine (Serpalan)
• terazosin (Hytrin)

You may have heard of other types of vasodilators. Beta blockers, which are a common heart and blood vessel medication, are one type of vasodilator. Another type is calcium channel blockers.

What they're used for

• To lower blood pressure

• To treat or prevent angina, which can be brought on by coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerosis (blocked blood vessels),

How they work

Vasodilators aid in relaxing and expanding the blood vessels to make it easier for the blood to flow through them. This facilitates: blood pressure reduction Make the heart operate less forcefully Reduce angina (chest discomfort) frequency

Atherectomy

What is an atherectomy?

An atherectomy removes plaque buildup to allow blood flow through clogged blood arteries. It's a procedure that makes use of local anesthesia. Typically, general anesthesia is not required.

By removing the plaque, the artery is left open and the blood can flow more freely, which can:

• Coronary artery risk for heart attacks
• The intensity of your peripheral artery pain in your arms or legs

How is the procedure done?

Catheterization is the first step in an atherectomy. A catheter is a tiny, flexible tube that is put through a blood vessel in your groin (or occasionally your arm) during a catheterization. Your doctor "steers" the catheter gently in the direction of your blocked vessel. Your blood vessels can be seen on a monitor as images thanks to dye injected through the catheter; they resemble roads on a map. (This procedure's angiography phase is referred to as such.) An atherectomy often includes a catheterization and an angiography.

Your doctor starts the atherectomy once a clear image of the obstruction is obtained. A unique catheter with a little cutting instrument on the end is used by the doctor. The device removes the plaque from the artery's inside. The tool is specifically made to simply cut the plaque and not in any way harm the blood vessel. Blood may be able to flow more freely if the plaque is removed from the vessel.

Your doctor might insert a stent using a different catheter after the atherectomy. A thin mesh tube called a stent keeps your artery open. The stent might assist in avoiding another blockage of your artery.

What can I expect?

Usually, you are instructed to refrain from eating or drinking for a period of time prior to the treatment. You will get your procedure in a "cath lab." An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into your arm when you are lying on an examination table. During the surgery, the IV administers fluids and drugs. You get drowsy but not unconscious from the drug. For the catheter, the doctor creates a tiny incision. You won't feel any pain because the region will be numbed, but you might feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. Your doctor or nurse may question you during the atherectomy to make sure you are not in discomfort, for example. You might spend the night in the hospital. But the majority of people have a fairly rapid

Balloon Angioplasty

What is a balloon angioplasty?

By forcing plaque against the arterial wall, a balloon angioplasty unblocks blood arteries that have become obstructed. It's a procedure that makes use of local anesthesia. Typically, general anesthesia is not required. By performing this technique, the artery is opened and blood can flow more freely, which can:

1. Coronary artery risk for heart attacks

2. The severity of pain in the peripheral arteries in your arms or legs

3. Carotid arteries are at risk of stroke.

How is the procedure done?

Catheterization often precedes a balloon angioplasty. A catheter is a tiny, flexible tube that is put through a blood vessel in your groin (or occasionally your arm) during a catheterization. Your doctor "steers" the catheter gently in the direction of your blocked vessel. Your blood vessels can be seen on a monitor as images thanks to dye injected through the catheter; they resemble roads on a map. (This procedure's angiography phase is referred to as such.) Catheterization and an angiography are frequently included in the process. Your doctor starts the angioplasty once the blockage is clearly visible.

The physician uses a specific catheter with a little balloon attached to perform angioplasty. The balloon is inflated by the doctor close to the arterial blockage. Better blood flow results from the inflated balloon pressing the plaque against the arterial wall.

Your doctor might insert a stent with the aid of a different catheter after the balloon angioplasty. A thin mesh tube called a stent keeps your artery open. The stent might assist in avoiding another blockage of your artery.

What can I expect?

Usually, you are instructed to refrain from eating or drinking for a period of time prior to the treatment. You will get your procedure in a "cath lab." An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into your arm when you are lying on an examination table. During the surgery, the IV administers fluids and drugs. You get drowsy but not unconscious from the drug. For the catheter, the doctor creates a tiny incision. You won't feel any pain because the region will be numbed, but you might feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. Your doctor or nurse may question you during the angioplasty to make sure you are not in discomfort, for example. You might spend the night in the hospital. But the majority of people have a fairly rapid recovery.

Bypass Surgery

What is bypass surgery?

Your heart may not receive enough blood and oxygen if you have one or more clogged coronary arteries. Your doctor might advise bypass surgery if a less invasive operation, such a balloon angioplasty, isn't likely to open your arteries. Your surgeon makes new passageways to direct blood around clogged vessels during bypass surgery. An open-heart procedure called a bypass necessitates general anesthesia. A coronary artery bypass graft, sometimes known as CABG (pronounced "cabbage"), is the full word for a bypass.

Where are the new vessels from?

Your heart may not receive enough blood and oxygen if you have one or more clogged coronary arteries. Your doctor might advise bypass surgery if a less invasive operation, such a balloon angioplasty, isn't likely to open your arteries. Your surgeon makes new passageways to direct blood around clogged vessels during bypass surgery. An open-heart procedure called a bypass necessitates general anesthesia. A coronary artery bypass graft, sometimes known as CABG (pronounced "cabbage"), is the full word for a bypass.

1. The internal mammary artery, which runs along the interior of the chest wall

2. The elbow to wrist-extending Radial Artery

3. The leg's Saphenous vein runs the entire length

These blood vessels can be partially removed for bypass since other vessels can take their place. In contrast to veins, arteries are more frequently selected by doctors for grafts. Sometimes veins that have been "grafted" or stitched to heart arteries become blocked once more. Less often, arteries do this.

How is the surgery done?

Typical bypass surgery starts with a sternum (breastbone) incision. Your doctor must do bypass surgery on a fully motionless heart in order to perform it traditionally. As a result, you are given drugs to stop your heart. Then, a heart-lung machine performs the functions of the heart and lungs:

• It adds oxygen to your blood-as your lungs would do
• It pumps the blood back into, and throughout, your body–as your heart would do

Just below the obstructed artery, your doctor stitches (grafts) one end of the healthy blood vessel. The healthy vessel's opposite end is then stitched above the occluded artery. Blood circulates around the blocked spot through the new vessel. The bypass graft is this "detour". Your coronary arteries can accommodate more blood after bypass surgery. Therefore, bypass surgery can reduce your risk of having a heart attack. Bypass surgery is used to avoid one blocked artery. A double bypass avoids two obstructions, and so on.

Newer types of bypass

There are currently less invasive bypass procedures available in addition to the classic bypass. Both of these procedures do not make use of the heart-lung machine. You can ask your doctor if one of these less invasive procedures could be right for you. A smaller incision is needed around your ribs for minimally invasive bypass surgery as opposed to the more significant breastbone incision. Off-pump bypass surgery keeps a portion of your heart stationary while the surgeon performs the procedure. During this kind of operation, the remainder of your heart continues to beat normally.

Bypass surgery outside the heart

The most frequent kind of vascular bypass is a coronary bypass operation. Peripheral veins, however, which carry blood away from the heart, can also obstruct. This condition is known as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or peripheral vascular disease (PVD). PVD can occasionally only be treated with a bypass. Peripheral vessels most frequently become obstructed are those in the leg. The healthy vessel for bypass surgery on the arteries in the legs is either another vascular from the leg or a synthetic vessel. Anesthesia is necessary for peripheral artery bypass surgery. However, the heart-lung machine is not required because it is not a heart operation.

What can I expect?

Usually, a few hours prior to your procedure, you are instructed not to eat or drink anything. An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into your arm while you lie on an examination table. During the procedure, the IV supplies medication and fluids. After that, you are wheeled into the operating room, where you are given medication to put you to sleep for the procedure. The intensive care unit (ICU) may be your home for a few days following surgery. This is to confirm that your chest is healing normally and that your heart is pumping normally. In most cases, you leave the hospital in less than a week. Although pain medication is provided, you might experience pain at the site of the incision for a few weeks. Recovery at home usually takes four to six weeks. Your doctor might advise cardiac rehabilitation following your bypass surgery. In order to aid in your recovery, a group of medical specialists collaborate with you. To prevent more cardiac issues, the group:

• Outlines the exercises that are best for you.

• Proposes dietary changes

• Places a prescription to treat your symptoms.

• Aids you in regaining or learning new coping mechanisms and lifestyles

• Offers advice on how to modify your way of life (for example, by quitting smoking or reducing stress in your life).

What is a Stent?

A stent is a small tube made of mesh that helps maintain the opening of an artery. As part of an angioplasty procedure, your doctor places a stent in a freshly opened artery to lower the possibility of recurrent blockage or narrowing. Coronary arteries and carotid arteries, which supply blood to the heart and neck, are common places for stent implantations. Local anesthetic is used during a stent implant procedure. Usually, no general anesthesia is required.

Stents for the coronary arteries come in two varieties: drug-coated and bare metal. A drug-coated stent is a bare-metal stent that has been coated with a particular drug or medication to help lower the likelihood that the artery will obstruct again. Over the course of the time when a new blockage is most likely to occur, the drug coating is released from the medical device.

Your need for a second procedure (such as a coronary stent procedure or bypass surgery) to reopen the artery may be lessened if you have a drug-coated stent implant.

How is the implant procedure done?

Your doctor might perform an atherectomy or a balloon angioplasty prior to implanting a stent in order to clear the blocked artery. A catheterization is required for both of those operations and the stent implant. A catheter is a tiny, flexible tube that is put through a blood vessel in your groin (or occasionally your arm) during a catheterization. Your doctor "steers" the catheter gently in the direction of your blocked vessel. Your blood vessels can be seen on a monitor as images thanks to dye injected through the catheter; they resemble roads on a map. (This procedure's angiography phase is referred to as such.) Angiograms and catheterizations are frequently included with stent implants. The stent is inserted into your newly opened artery by the doctor using a specific catheter after the obstruction has been removed. The stent provides:

• Hold the artery open so blood can flow freely
• Prevent plaque buildup from blocking the artery again

What can I expect?

A tiny mesh tube called a stent keeps an artery open. Typically, you are instructed to refrain from eating or drinking for a period of time prior to the procedure. A "cath lab" will be used to carry out your procedure. An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into your arm as you lay on a exam table. During the procedure, the IV administers fluids and medications. You become sleepy but not unconscious as a result of the medication. For the catheter, the doctor makes a small incision. You won't feel pain because the area will be numbed, but you might feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. Your doctor or nurse may question you during the stent implant to make sure you are not in pain, for example. You might spend the night in the hospital, and the incision site might be sore. Most people recover pretty quickly.