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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffAfter surgery, most people feel better and may remain symptom-free for as long as 10 to 15 years. Over time, however, it's likely that other arteries or even the new graft used in the bypass will become clogged, requiring another bypass or angioplasty.
Although bypass surgery improves blood supply to the heart, it doesn't cure underlying coronary artery disease. Your results and long-term outcome will depend in part on taking your medication as directed and following healthy lifestyle recommendations, such as these:
- Stop smoking.
- Control diabetes.
- Follow a healthy-eating plan, such as the DASH diet.
- Reduce cholesterol levels.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Control blood pressure.
- Manage diabetes.
- Exercise.
In addition to lifestyle changes you'll need to make after your surgery, your doctor may also recommend a cardiac rehabilitation program. Cardiac rehabilitation — also called cardiac rehab — is a customized program of exercise and education, designed to help you recover after a heart attack, from other forms of heart disease or after surgery to treat heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation often begins while you're still in the hospital and continues with monitored programs in an outpatient setting until home-based maintenance programs can be safely followed.
- Eagle KA, et al. ACC/AHA 2004 guideline update for coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Summary article — A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2004;110:1168.
- Bypass surgery, coronary artery. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4484. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Shapira OM, et al. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery after acute ST elevation myocardial infraction. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Aranki S, et al. Early cardiac complications after coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Aranki S, et al. Early noncardiac complications after coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 11, 2010.
- Holzhey DM, et al. Seven-year follow-up after minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass: Experience with more than 1300 patients. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2007;83:104.
- Suaya JA, et al. Use of cardiac rehabilitation by Medicare beneficiaries after myocardial infarction or coronary bypass surgery. Circulation. 2007;116:1653.
- Puskas JD, et al. Off-pump coronary bypass provides reduced mortality and morbidity and equivalent 10-year survival. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2008;86:1139.
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