Still, Manoukian says patients who fit Cheney's health profile could develop symptoms if subjected to a high-stress situation, such as a national campaign. A campaign is a very physically and mentally challenging activity, and it puts a significant stress on the heart. In fact, bypass surgeries are commonly performed again on some patients within 10 or 20 years. Manoukian says it's mainly because veins taken from other parts of the body to create the bypass tend to wear out. Usually, strips of vein from the leg or strips of artery are used to reroute around the blockage.
Veins are a very low-pressure, low stress conduit.
That causes them to have higher wear and tear. Arteries, on the other hand, are considered more durable. If that is the case, he says Cheney's venous grafts are entering a time period when it wouldn't be unreasonable to see some wear. But situations vary. The better you take care of yourself, the better you'll typically do after bypass surgery, Booth says.