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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffBecause coronary bypass surgery is an open-heart surgery, you may have complications during or following your procedure. The most common complications of coronary bypass surgery are:
- Bleeding
- Heart rhythm irregularities (arrhythmias)
Less common complications include:
- Infections of the chest wound
- Memory loss or troubles with thinking clearly, which often improve within six to 12 months
- Kidney failure
- Stroke
- Heart attack, if a blood clot breaks loose soon after surgery
Your risk of developing these complications depends on your health before the surgery. Talk to your doctor to get a better idea of the likelihood of experiencing these risks.
If you're having a scheduled coronary bypass surgery, your risk of complications is usually low, but still depends on your overall health. The risk is higher if the operation is done as an emergency or if you have other medical conditions, such as emphysema, kidney disease, diabetes or blocked arteries in your legs (peripheral artery disease, or PAD).
- Hillis LD, et al. ACC/AHA 2011 guideline update for coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Executive summary - A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2011;124:2610.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cabg/. Accessed Aug. 22, 2012.
- Shapira OM, et al. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery after acute ST elevation myocardial infraction. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 22, 2012.
- Aranki S, et al. Long-term outcome after coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 22, 2012.
- Aranki S, et al. Early noncardiac complications after coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 22, 2012.
- McGinn JT, et al. Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting: Dual-center experience in 450 consecutive patients. Circulation. 2009;120:S78.
- Arena R, et al. Increasing referral and participation rates to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation: The valuable role of healthcare professionals in the inpatient and home health settings. Circulation. 2012;125:1321.
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