An Overview of Triple Bypass Surgery

Surgery on the heart that bypasses three vessels of the heart is called a triple bypass. A triple bypass creates a detour or bypass around the blocked part of a coronary artery to restore the needed blood supply to the heart muscle.

Coronary arteries are small blood vessels that supply the beating heart muscle with life supporting oxygen and nutrients. Unfortunately, fats and cholesterol can begin to accumulate inside these small arteries, and the arteries can slowly become clogged. Eventually, this buildup can cause blockage, which may necessitate triple bypass surgery.

When the arteries becomes partially or totally blocked, the heart cannot get the needed blood supply. This condition is called coronary artery disease and it can cause chest pain. Sometimes the first symptom of coronary artery disease is a deadly heart attack.

During a triple bypass operation, the patient will be anesthetized and completely free from pain. The heart surgeon will make a cut in the middle of the chest and separate the breast bone. Through this incision, the surgeon can see the heart and aorta. After the procedure is complete, the breast bone will be rejoined with wire and the incision will be sewn closed.

If a vein from the leg called the saphenous vein needs to be used for the triple bypass surgery, an incision is made in the leg and the vein will be removed. This vein is located on the inside of the leg, running from the ankle to the groin area. The saphenous vein is not a hard working vein. It only does about 10% of the work of circulating blood from the leg back to the heart, so it can be taken without posing any problems.

The leg that the vein is taken from may swell slightly during the recovery period, but this will be a temporary condition. It will be important to elevate the leg to reduce the swelling.

A triple bypass operation can take up to 6 hours to perform. After the operation, the patient will be taken to the intensive care unit. The patient is generally connected to various monitors and tubes for several days. The full benefits from the triple bypass may not be fully appreciated until 3 to 6 months after the operation.