Patient Education: Diseases Conditions Treatments & Procedures

Heart Surgery

During Surgery

Upon arrival to the operating room, the anaesthetist will put you to sleep and your operation will begin.

You will be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine which provides oxygen to your blood during surgery.

For patients having coronary artery bypass surgery, the saphenous vein, (located in the legs) the mammary artery, (located behind the chest wall) and sometimes the radial artery, (located in the arm) may be used to bypass your blocked coronary arteries.

For all heart surgery patients, a chest incision will be made through the breastbone and then closed at the end of the operation with stainless steel wires.

Dissolvable stitches are used to close the outer portion of your incision. The wires will remain and the stitches will dissolve on their own.