Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (OP-CAB)
Boston Medical Center’s Department of Cardiac Surgery offers several alternatives to traditional coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), including off-pump CABG, or OP-CAB. OP-CAB allows the surgeon to perform the procedure while the heart is beating, which can offer significant advantages over traditional CABG.
What is OP-CAB?
CABG is performed to restore blood flow to your heart by bypassing coronary (heart) arteries that have been narrowed or blocked by the build-up of plaque. When plaque loosens and breaks off, a blood clot forms, which can block blood flow to your heart, resulting in chest pain or heart attack. In CABG, a surgeon reroutes blood around the blocked or narrowed portion of a coronary artery or arteries using a piece of an artery or vein from another part of your body.
Traditionally, CABG has been performed with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass, or a heart-lung machine. The heart-lung machine allows the patient’s heart to be stilled during CABG (and other procedures) and performs the circulatory functions that the heart and lungs normally do. OP-CAB allows the surgeon to perform the procedure while the heart is still beating. To accomplish this, the patient is given medication to slow the heart rate during the procedure. In addition, the surgeon uses special tools that stabilize and position the heart to provide access to the blocked arteries. With one part of the heart stabilized, the surgeon can perform the bypass while the rest of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the patient’s body.
What are the advantages of OP-CAB?
Compared to traditional CABG, OP-CAB offers the patient less risk for complications, including:
- Bleeding;
- Stroke;
- Kidney failure; and
- Cognitive problems.
The Boston Medical Center difference
Drawing on our long history of exceptional cardiac services, Boston Medical Center provides quality care in a state-of-the-art environment. A pioneer in cardiac surgery, Boston Medical Center is one of the leading programs in the United States. In addition to providing a full range of traditional cardiac surgical treatments, our attention to the most current yet proven techniques and technologies places Boston Medical Center’s Cardiac Surgery program at the leading edge of innovative surgical and minimally invasive treatments.
Your care is our top priority. That’s why we use a collaborative care approach. A highly specialized and expertly skilled group of cardiac surgeons, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and surgical nurses work together to ensure that you receive the treatment that’s right for you and a patient experience that is second to none. We partner with you, your cardiologist, and other physicians to provide you with the most advanced and effective cardiac care available in New England.
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