Angina is the chest pain you feel when the arteries that supply your heart with blood and oxygen become narrowed over time. This narrowing is caused by fatty deposits called plaques. When your heart works harder, it needs more oxygen, but the narrowed arteries can't deliver enough blood, which causes the pain.
You've tried medical treatment, but your symptoms are still not well controlled. That's why we are now offering a surgical option called a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, or CABG.
This is an open-heart surgery performed while you are asleep under a general anaesthetic. The surgeon will take a healthy blood vessel, usually from your leg, and attach it to your heart artery, creating a new path or 'bypass' around the blockage. This allows blood to flow freely to the heart muscle again, which should greatly improve your chest pain.
The operation itself is quite lengthy and usually takes between 3 and 6 hours.
The main benefits of having this surgery are that it should relieve your chest pain and breathlessness, allowing you to be more active. It also reduces your future risk of having a serious heart attack.
An alternative, less invasive procedure is called an angioplasty. This involves passing a thin tube through a blood vessel to the narrowed artery in your heart. A small balloon is then inflated to widen the artery, and a mesh tube called a stent is often left in place to keep it open.
As with any major surgery, there are risks. More common issues include bleeding, pain, and a risk of infection in your chest or leg wounds. You might also develop a chest infection after the operation.
There are also some rarer, but more serious risks, such as the new bypass graft failing, kidney problems, or developing blood clots in your legs or lungs. There is also a small risk of having a stroke or a heart attack during or after the procedure.
I know you were concerned about the risk of not surviving the surgery. This is a very safe and commonly performed procedure, but there is a small risk, which on average is about 2-3%. Our surgical and anaesthetic teams are highly experienced and will take every precaution to ensure your safety.
You will need to stay in the hospital for about a week after the surgery so we can monitor your recovery. After you go home, you will have a follow-up appointment in about a month and a half to two months.
Your recovery will be gradual. You'll be encouraged to do increasing levels of gentle exercise, but it's very important not to strain yourself in the first few weeks. Most people are back to their normal routine after about 6 weeks.
It's wonderful that you've already made positive lifestyle changes like stopping smoking and improving your diet. It is vital to continue with this healthy lifestyle after the surgery, as this will help protect the new grafts and your overall heart health for years to come.