Glossary of Terms

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
A surgical operation in which the surgeon uses a section of vein, usually from the patient’s leg or an artery from inside the patient’s chest to create a new route for oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart muscle. The vein or artery used is the bypass graft. One end of the vein or artery is connected to the coronary artery that is blocked or narrowed beyond the blockage or narrowed area. The other end of the vein is connected to the aorta. Usually the other end of the artery is left connected to the main artery from which it branches. By creating this new conduit for blood flow to the heart muscle the graft is said to "bypass" the narrowed or blocked section of the coronary artery in question.