Twin Cities Heart and Lung: Before and After Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass

site map

Heart Procedures

Lung Procedures

Vascular Procedures

Glossary of Medical Terms

The surgeons at Twin Cities Heart and Lung believe in patient education. We've designed our site to help you learn about procedures so you can understand them and proceed with your treatment with the knowledge to put your fears to rest.

Before and After Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass:

Before Surgery Instructions

After Surgery Instructions

Back to list of procedures

Before Surgery Instructions:

Most patients are admitted to the hospital the morning of or the day before surgery. The night before surgery, you will be asked to bathe to reduce the amount of germs on your skin. After you are admitted to the hospital, the area to be operated on will be washed, scrubbed with antiseptic, and, if needed, shaved.

The Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass is performed with general anesthesia, meaning you will be unconscious during the surgery. Because anesthesia is safest on an empty stomach, you will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. If you do eat or drink anything after midnight, it is important that you tell your anesthesiologist and surgeon. If you smoke, you should stop at least two weeks before your surgery. Smoking before surgery can lead to problems with blood clotting and breathing.

Before surgery, you may have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), blood tests, urine tests, and a chest x-ray to give your surgeon the latest information about your health. You will be given something to help you relax (a mild tranquilizer) before you are taken into the operating room.

After Surgery Instructions:

After surgery, the you will be moved to a bed in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Your heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored continuously for the twelve to twenty-four hours following the operation. Family members can visit periodically to see how you're doing. Medications that regulate circulation and blood pressure may be given intravenously. A breathing tube (endotracheal tube) will stay in place until your doctor is confident that you're awake and ready to breathe comfortably on your own.

After being anesthetized, you may feel groggy and disoriented temporarily, and sites of incisions - both the chest and limb, depending where the graft(s) were taken from - may be sore. Painkillers are given as needed. Patients usually stay in the hospital at least three to five days, sometimes longer. During this time, some tests will be done to assess and monitor your condition.