Beating heart bypass surgery

Coronary Bypass Surgeries are performed using contemporary techniques including the off-pump artery bypass surgery. Over 99.6% of the surgeries are off-pump or beating heart surgeries. During off-pump or beating heart surgery, the heart-lung machine is not used. The surgeon uses advanced operating equipment to stabilize (hold) portions of the heart and bypass the blocked artery in a highly controlled operative environment. Meanwhile, the rest of the heart keeps pumping and circulating blood to the body. Traditional surgery vs. beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery offers patients faster post-operative recovery and extracts less of a toll on their systems. 

This process avoids many of the complications that can arise from the use of the heart/lung machine, such as stroke, increased need for blood transfusions, kidney and lung complications, and lengthy hospital stays. Also, stopping the heart is too traumatic and dangerous for some patients to endure. The beating-heart procedure enables a larger, more diverse population to undergo bypass surgery.

Recovery from this procedure is also faster and most patients return to normal activities sooner.