Vascular Surgery

Bypass grafting is a surgical procedure to redirect blood flow from one area to another in an area of blockage by reconnecting vessels. It is performed due to ischemia (inadequate blood flow) caused by atherosclerosis or other vascular diseases. In this procedure, an alternate channel is created for blood flow by replacing a damaged vessel. The graft is generally taken from one’s own healthy region (autograft), or a graft material such as Teflon or Dacron. The lifespan of a surgical bypass depends on the health of the arteries, the type of graft used- natural vein graft last longer than synthetic ones.