WHAT IS BEATING HEART BYPASS SURGERY?

When your arteries cannot supply enough blood to your heart, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. One of the most common heart surgeries in the United States, CABG surgery restores blood flow to your heart. Approximately every 10 minutes, someone has beating heart or "off-pump" bypass surgery1. Beating heart bypass surgery is — in simple terms — bypass surgery that is performed on your heart while it is beating. Your heart will not be stopped during surgery. You will not need a heart-lung machine. Your heart and lungs will continue to perform during your surgery. Surgeons use a tissue stabilization system to immobilize the area of the heart where they need to work. Beating heart bypass surgery is also called Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (OPCAB). Both OPCAB and conventional on-pump surgery restore blood flow to the heart. However, off-pump bypass surgery has proven to reduce side effects in certain types of patients.