How is the need for heart bypass surgery determined?

A team of doctors, including a cardiologist, identify whether you can

undergo open-heart surgery. Some medical conditions can complicate
surgery or eliminate it as a possibility.

Conditions that can cause complications include:

 diabetes

 emphysema

 kidney disease

 peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

Discuss these issues with your doctor before scheduling your surgery. You’ll
also want to talk about your family medical history and any prescription and
over-the-counter (OTC) medications you’re taking. Planned surgery
outcomes are usually better than emergency surgery.

What are the risks of heart bypass surgery?

As with any open-heart surgery, heart bypass surgery carries risks. Recent
technological advancements have improved the procedure, increasing the
chances of a successful surgery.

There’s still a risk for some complications after surgery. These complications
could include:

 bleeding

 arrhythmia

 blood clots

 chest pain
  infection

 kidney failure

 heart attack or stroke

What are the alternatives to heart bypass surgery?

In the past decade, more alternatives to heart bypass surgery have become
available. These include:

Balloon angioplasty

Balloon angioplasty is the alternative that’s most likely to be recommended

by doctors. During this treatment, a tube is threaded through your blocked
artery. Afterward, a small balloon is inflated to widen the artery.

The doctor then removes the tube and the balloon. A small metal scaffold,
also known as a stent, will be left in place. A stent keeps the artery from
contracting back to its original size.

Balloon angioplasty may not be as effective as heart bypass surgery, but it’s
less risky.