Coronary artery bypass graft srugery is a procedure in which a vein or artery from another part of the body is used to create an alternate path for blood to flow to the heart, bypassing the arterial blockage. One or more bypasses may be performed during a single operation, since providing several routes for the blood supply to travel is believed to improve long-term success for the procedure. Triple and quadruple bypasses are often done for this reason, no necessarily because the patient's condition is more severe. CABG surgery is one of the most common successful major operations currently performed in the United States. In 1999, approximately 700,000 procedures were performed in the U.S. alone.
Many factors can influence the outcome of coronary artery bypass surgery.
These include the patient's health before the procedure, the skill of the operating team and general after care. The states listed below offer consumers information about heart surgery outcomes through a cooperative quality improvement system. On-line Report Cards are intended for patients, families of patients who are considering coronary artery bypass surgery and health care providers. Comparisons are visible on a single table. If you do not see your state's listing, you may want to contact your state's health department and ask if and when this type of consumer health information will be made available.