Which procedure returns blood flow to the heart by rerouting it through a grafted artery or vein around diseased sections?

• A. Coronary Artery Balloon Angioplasty
• B. Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
• C. Cardiac Cath
• D. Angiography

Answer: (B)

Rerouting blood flow around diseased coronary arteries is accomplished by coronary artery bypass grafting. In this procedure, a graft vessel is connected to create a new pathway for blood to reach parts of the heart muscle that are blocked, bypassing the narrowed segments. Grafts usually come from the internal mammary artery in the chest or a leg vein such as the saphenous vein. This approach is chosen when there are multiple blockages or when disease isn’t suitable for stenting, providing a permanent new route for perfusion to the heart. By contrast, balloon angioplasty widens a narrowed vessel in place and doesn’t establish a new route, and cardiac catheterization and angiography are diagnostic or less extensive interventional tests.