Heart Bypass Operation - Introduction

Every year, 7.2 million people worldwide die of coronary heart disease.

In Germany, around 1 million people suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD). The calcification of arteries (arteriosclerosis) caused by the constriction of one or more coronary blood vessels results in an undersupply of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, from which the typical symptoms of angina pectoris (a feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath) originate. This dramatically reduces one's abilities and quality of life and can also lead to a life-threatening heart attack if a blood vessel suddenly closes. To avoid this, medicinal and intervention therapy (vascular expansion during a cardiac catheter examination) can be accompanied by an aortocoronary (affecting the coronary blood vessels and the aorta, or main artery, of the body) bypass operation as an option for actively countering the effects of a heart attack. A successfully executed operation can ease pains and improve the long-term quality of life and life expectancy for the person affected.¹