Heart bypass
After you have been discharged from hospital, you may experience some side effects as a result of the operation. These can include:
It's natural to feel a bit low after having bypass surgery. You'll experience good and bad days, but it's important to remember your recovery will take weeks rather than days.
Side effects tend to disappear within four to six weeks of the operation. A full recovery may take a few months or longer, depending on your overall health before the procedure.
If you would like some extra support and advice while you recover, speak with your GP or contact the British Heart Foundation, who can provide you with details of local heart support groups .
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat coronary heart disease. It diverts blood around narrowed or clogged parts of the major arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.
It's a good idea to be well prepared before going into hospital to have a coronary arterybypass graft (CABG). You may find the advice below useful: get informed find out as much as you can about what your operation involves, arrange help to help you at home after coming home from hospital, sort out transport to take you home, etc.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery usually lasts three to six hours. However, it may take longer depending on how many blood vessels are being grafted. Blood vessels can be taken from your leg (saphenous vein), inside your chest (internal mammary artery) or your arm (radial artery).
You'll usually need to stay in hospital for around seven days after having a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), so medical staff can closely monitor your recovery. During this time, you may be attached to various tubes, drips and drains that provide you with fluids and allow blood and urine to drain away.
As with all types of surgery, a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) carries risks of complications. Some of the main complications associated with acoronary artery bypass graft are irregular heartbeat, infection, reduced kidney function, brain problems and heart attacks.
After you've been discharged from hospital, you may experience some side effects as a result of the operation. These can include: loss of appetite, Constipation, back pain, tiredness and difficulty sleeping, feeling upset or having mood swings
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) isn't a cure for heart disease, so it's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle and continue taking any prescribed medication after the operation to reduce your risk of getting heart problems in the future.
If you have coronary heart disease and the arteries around your heart are severely narrowed, it may be possible to have a procedure called a coronary angioplasty instead of a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Chauffeur Alec Keep, aged 66 when interviewed, had a heart bypass in March 2007 in Papworth Hospital, after he had two heart attacks.