0 - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Biopsychosocial Effects Among Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Patients
irreversible damage or artery blockage, a patient is recommended for surgery (Carnic &
Knight. 2000).
Coronary Arter}' Bypass Grafting 5'urgery and the Recovery Process
Coronary Artery B)lJaSS Grafting Surgery, CABG here after, accounts for an
estimated 50 million dollars in health care costs in this countTY; more than 300,000
CABG procedures are performed annually in the United States (Ellis et aI., 1998).
Physicians recommend this intervention when a person presents with the previous risk
11{ctors and has serious hypertension. By the time a cardiologist elects this surgery, a
person's coronary arteries have become clogged and the patient is at serious risk. "This
event can slmv or stop blood f10w through the heart's blood vessels, leading to chest pain
or a heart attack. This type of heart surgery reroutes, or 'bypasses,' blood around clogged
arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart. Increasing blood flO\v to the hem1
muscle relieves chest pain and reduces the risk of heart attack" (American Heart
Association {AHA}, 2005).
During the surgery a segment of a healthy blood vessel is taken from another part
of the body to make a detour around the blocked part of the coronmy artery. Typically an
artery is detached from the chest wall; in some cases, however, a leg vein is used. One
end of the vein is sewn onto the aorta. The other end is 'grafted' to the coronary artery
below the blocked area. Either way, blood can use this new path to flow freely to the heart
muscle (AHA, 2005).
After surgery, the patient recovers in the cardiac surgical unit, \V'here blood
pressure and heati are monitored for 24 hours. Usually patients report feeling groggy and
pain is otten reported at the sites of incisions, both the in the chest and in the leg. Patients
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