What is Triple Bypass Heart Condition?
It is important for us to know what diseases can strike us today. Knowing that you will leave your family forever can hurt, but it is always good to be prepared for the inevitable.
First things first. Triple bypass heart surgery is not the same thing as open-heart surgery. Triple bypass heart surgery has to be done when the blood vessels that are too close to the heart become so clogged that they cannot function properly anymore. This type of surgery is performed as an open-heart procedure. What this means is that during the operation, the chest has to be open, for the heart to be seen and to perform the surgery.
Let us now understand what is involved in a triple bypass heart surgery. The blood vessels that supply the heart with their own blood supply are different from the blood vessels that supply the blood pumped by the heart. These blood vessels, which supply the heart their blood, are called the coronary arteries. In some cases, these coronary arteries become blocked and this condition is known as coronary artery disease. If the blood vessels get too clogged, it can completely stop the blood flow to the heart. This condition is very serious, as it can cause severe chest pain, sometimes a cardiac arrest and in some cases even sudden death.
Triple bypass heart surgery
In many cases, the coronary artery disease can be treated with medication and change in lifestyle. However, when the blockage is too severe; the surgery is then important to make sure that the heart keeps getting the required amount of blood flow.
In a triple heart bypass surgery, blood vessels are taken from another part of the body (usually the leg) and grafted in the existing blood vessels before and after the blockage. This procedure is known as the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). In some instances, the procedure can be double or even quadruple referring to the number of heart arteries that are being bypassed.
CABG has many benefits of its own mainly for patients who have serious cardiovascular diseases. CABG can save your life if you are having a cardiac arrest or are at high risks of getting one. Even if you are having difficulty to breathe, and if the disease is coronary artery disease; CABG comes as a lifesaver.
The risks involved
Let us now see what risks are included in coronary bypass heart surgery:
- The risk of bleeding from grafts: About 30%-40% of the patients require blood transfusions just after the surgery. Although it is very rare, bleeding from the grafting sites can sometimes lead to death.
- Heart rhythm problems: This is among the rarest of all the risks involved in a coronary bypass surgery. In this case, blood clots are sometimes formed in the heart and can travel to other body parts. This can lead to death as well.
- Kidney failure: CABG may damage the functioning of the patient’s kidney, although in most cases it is temporary.
- Memory loss: Many patients have complained that they have trouble remembering things after CABG. This condition is usually gone after 6 months to a year of the surgery.
- In-hospital death: In-hospital death is very rare, but sometimes due to heart attacks; it does take place.
By all means even after everything is said and done, a healthy mind helps a long way to curing you as well. Stay healthy, eat healthily and most importantly think healthy.
