Alternatives to surgery include aggressive medical therapy and balloon angioplasty for suitable candidates. Significant advances are constantly being made on both of these fronts. Patients and their families should ask their cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon about alternatives to surgery. After successful CABG, a patient's anginal chest pain should resolve, although they will likely experience some incisional chest discomfort. Surprisingly, however, even the incision does not bother most people much after the first 48 to 72 hours.
Some patients find that their energy level actually improves after surgery.
In the long run a patient can expect to return to their preoperative condition or better.