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Coronary bypass surgery is an open heart surgery (the chest is opened, but not the heart itself). It is done through an opening through the breast bone. While one surgeon is working on the chest, another surgeon works on taking a length of vein (saphenous vein) for the bypass through a long incision along the inside of the lower leg. The vein is sewn in above and below the blockage in the coronary artery. Alternatively, an artery from the interior aspect of the chest wall (internal mammary artery), or the arm (radial artery) is used.
Review Date 5/5/2025
Updated by: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
