What are the long-term results after a bypass graft surgery?

What are the long-term results after a bypass graft surgery?

Rose Marie Robertson, MD, FAHA, FACC, FESC (Chief Science Officer and Past President of the Board of American Heart Association) gives expert video advice on: How long will it take me to recover from heart surgery?; How else can I aid my recovery from a heart disease?; How should I exercise if I have a heart disease? and more...

Bypass surgery has very good long-term results in that the arteries and veins that are used tend to stay open for many years and provide good blood flow to the heart. However, it's not quite as good as if you were born again with new arteries. You don't get to start back at childhood. The arteries and veins in your body have been exposed to the same influences that your own arteries and veins were and even if they don't have narrowings at the time they are put in, they are prone to close up over a period of years so it is very important to keep the risk factors under very good control after bypass surgery just as it is if you have any sort of coronary disease, any sort of procedure or no procedure at all. In particular, it is important to be certain that cholesterol and blood pressure are under good control, that smoking is cessed and that physical activity and maintaining lean body weight are controlled. It is also important to continue to take medications as your physician prescribes them.