Not wasting any time, Dr. Adkins performed a four-vessel bypass on Sheldon Cohen the following day. An incision was made in the chest and the breastbone spread to allow Adkins access to the heart. A heart-lung bypass machine circulated Cohen's blood while Adkins was operating on his heart. After four hours, the bypasses were complete and Cohen was recovering in the coronary care unit. In bypass surgery, a surgeon uses an artery from the arm or a vein from the leg and grafts it into the heart to reroute blood flow around a clogged artery.
Surgeons can perform bypasses on multiple arteries, depending on the number of blockages.
In Cohen's case, four arteries were blocked. We take great care to be sure that patients receive specialized care following the operation to help them fully recover and get back up to full speed. Cohen recovered in the hospital for five days and then went home to follow a rehabilitation program as an outpatient. He gradually resumed his regular activities, including walking for exercise. He went back to work part-time after four weeks.