Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)

Coronary artery bypass surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), is done to bypass clogged arteries supplying the heart. When one or more of the small blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients becomes partially or totally blocked, the heart doesn't get an adequate blood supply. CABG creates a detour, or "bypass" around the blocked part of a coronary artery to restore the blood supply to the heart. Learn more about the CABG procedure and about artery and vein grafts. 

Find out why a high volume hospital is in your best interests 

More than a half million Americans undergo coronary bypass surgery to relieve symptoms such as chest pain and angina, and prolong their lives. Providence was one of the first open-heart surgery programs in the state, and performs more CABG surgeries than any other hospital in South Carolina each year. At Providence Hospital and the Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, it is not simply the number of cases performed but the outstanding results and quality outcomes that make our program a benchmark leader in the Southeast.

After surgery, patients spend an average of three to five days in the hospital, with the first 24 hours in the cardiovascular thoracic intensive care unit.  Later the patient is moved to the transitional care unit. As the patient recovers, activity is gradually resumed, as inpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation begins immediately.