A graft, which is a common blood vessel, created to clear a blocked artery, is attached above and below the area within the blocked artery so that the blood flow can be diverted to the new, unblocked path, and hence blood flows freely to the heart. The graft is usually taken from an internal mammary artery of the chest, or the veins of the leg. The traditional operation requires a six to eight inch incision down the center of the breastbone so the surgeon can reach the heart directly. During the surgery, the body is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine that keeps the blood flowing so that circulation of blood to other parts of the body is not hampered. The heart is stopped while the doctor conducts the operation and special wires are used to close the chest. |