Question (Jul 15, 2008 at 8:46am)

Jul. 15, 2008 at 8:46am

Good Evening from Black Forest,

I have written you earlier and now I have read your book, Take a load off your heart. Thank you for this book. I do not know any German book like that. I am the woman with three bypasses since 1983, born 1946. One of the bypasses should be bypassed again. What do you know about re-bypass operations? How dangerous are they? One doctor told me I should have an off pump operation (Octopus/Starfish) and they would take the arteria mammaria interna for the bypass. Unfortunately the bypass is in the Circumflex branch and more difficult to handle than the two other bypasses. I have not found any person who had had a rebypass operation. Do you know one? It would be interesting to hear if someone has survived the second operation.

Greetings!
eikka@richert-services.de

Posted in Questions by Anonymous

Comments (1)

Joe says:

Thanks for your question regarding second bypass surgeries. My apologies for not responding sooner, but I was in Connecticut and Vancouver, B.C., last week giving lectures.

Most cardiologists and surgeons will tell you that a second surgery is usually harder on everyone - patient included - than the first surgery. The build up of scar tissue alone makes it more difficult for the surgeon. Having said that, in my opinion the degree of risk is worth it (if you need the surgery) just to trade sapphaneous veins for internal mammary arteries. My surgery in 1977 used sapphaneous veins. Unfortunately, they may not last for a long period of time. Fifteen years later my veins began to show structural problems. I did not have more disease (indeed, tests showed a reversal called coronary regression), but I needed to fix the problem. So, a second surgery was performed to take out the sapphaneous vein & install the internal mammary artery. I have lived for 16 years with the new artery. So, second surgeries do work. Talk with your doctors to understand what needs to be done, why & how they will do it, and consider the risks & benefits. Good luck.
1 | Jul. 22, 2008 at 7:54am

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