SURGICAL TREATMENT: CORONARY BYPASS OPERATION - ARE THERE ANY OTHER PREREQUISITES FOR THE OPERATION? WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF THE OPERATION ?

Q. Are there any other prerequisites for the operation?

A. First, the functional capacity of the heart muscle should be adequate. A badly necrosed and scarred heart muscle as a result of previous infarctions cannot be brought back to normality by increased blood supply. However, if there is a localised aneurysm, the removal of which is likely to improve the function of the heart, then aneurysmectomy and bypass operation may be done at the same time. Secondly, the obstruction in the coronary artery should be localised and clearly demarcated and not diffuse. If there is more than one occluded vessel, all of them can be tackled during the same operation.

Q. What are the drawbacks of the operation ?

A. Apart from the high cost and comparative lack of availability of the facilities for carrying out the operation, the possibility of blockage of the bypass graft always looms large. The graft is made from a vein, which is a much weaker structure than an artery. Consequently, it can withstand much less pressure and strain than the coronary arteries and is, therefore, more vulnerable to blockage than a normal artery. The results with arterial grafts may prove to be better.

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Cardio & Blood