Heart Bypass Surgery

If you have severe coronary artery disease and plaque build-up in your arteries that is blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart, we may need to perform coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, also called heart bypass surgery. This open-heart procedure involves rerouting the blood flow to the heart by surgically attaching an additional blood flow vessel to bypass a blocked or extremely narrowed coronary artery.

Our surgeons are internationally renowned for their expertise in CABG surgery, and have led the way in off-pump CABG surgery, which eliminates the need for a heart-lung machine during surgery. In addition, our surgeons prefer to use arteries rather than veins for grafting, whenever possible. Though the harvesting of an artery requires more expertise, arterial grafts last much longer and provide more favorable outcomes for our patients. We perform arterial bypass grafts daily, while other hospitals often do not offer this option, due to its complexity.

To perform a CABG surgery, we reroute the blood flow using a vein from your leg, an existing artery in your chest wall, or an artery from your forearm (radial artery). We take one end of this blood vessel and connect it to the aorta where the coronary artery originates and the other end to the affected coronary artery, below the blockage area. This creates an alternate route for blood flow. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery takes between two to six hours to perform and you typically remain in the hospital for three to five days afterwards.

Why Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital offers heart bypass surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside. Both of these hospitals have received the coveted three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places these hospitals among the elite hospitals for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada.

In addition, the New York State Department of Health has recognized The Mount Sinai Hospital as one of the best at performing this procedure in the New York metropolitan area. The Mount Sinai Hospital has particular expertise with reoperative procedures and with combination bypass and valve repair/replacement procedures, which can carry a higher-than-usual risk. The Mount Sinai Hospital has also earned a 3-star rating from STS for Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery.

From consultation to post-operative care, you will receive compassionate and thorough care at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital.