A Question about Bypass surgery?

I just got word that my uncle may need Bypass surgery. He is in LaFayette, LA. they discovered it when they were running dye through his vains. My mother told me that they could not continue because, something about using to much die or his kidneys could fell. Anyway I guess they are going to give medicine because they are going send him back home until Monday. Then I guess try again then if the blockage is still there I guess do the surgery. Can anyone tell me about the second visit. I have never had anyone have bypass surgery. Oh and another question I was reading other post about this and he is Lafayette because, doesn't have insurance so does that mean he is not going to be in the best of hands (Doctors)?

From what you've said, here is what I think has happened & is in the process of happening...

Your uncle has had a heart catherization. During the Cath, they inject an iodine-based contrast solution (the "dye") into the coronary arteries to see if there are any blockages. There is a possibility that the contrast can cause or worsen kideney problems.

If they're sending him home, to come back as an outpatient for the bypass, then he's not in immediate danger, though he needs the surgery soon. The medicine that he's taking now will help him to avoid having a heart attack until the surgery.

The second visit is for the surgery. The blockages don't clear up or go away in the meantime. They've looked & seen that he has whatever blockages that he has, and the only thing they can now do is surgery to bypass those blockages.

So, now he'll go back & have the bypass. What they do for this is take veins from his legs to attach up to his heart. (Don't worry about his legs, they'll be just fine!) The vein is attached to the Aorta, just outside the Left Ventricle (the pumping chamber of the heart). This is where the coronary arteries come from as well. Then, the other end of the vein is attached to the coronary artery, just past where the blockage is. This way, the entire artery is getting blood flow (oxygen). They can do this as many times as necessary.

The other option to bypass the artery that goes down the front of the heart (the Left Anterior Descending Artery), they can use another artery called the Internal Mammary Artery. This artery branches off the subclavian, up by your collar bone, and it brings blood to the chest wall. So, they take it off of the chest wall, put little bitty staples along it to block the small vessels that branch off of it, and attach it to the LAD just past it's blockage.

Using the Internal Mammary Artery is beneficial because it tends to be more durable than veins. Don't get me wrong, vein bypasses tend to last for a quite a while (I've seen great looking ones 20 years after the surgery). The artery is more elastic & works very well. The doctor will use this if they can.

I wouldn't worry about the surgeons in Layfayette. I don't know much about them personally, but I'm sure that they will treat your uncle with the best care possible, regardless of his lack of insurance.

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me.

most heart surgeons do the best that they can and its not the money.heart blockages dont disappear from taking any meds they help control them did they do a cath for small blockages this is what they do first, bypass is done when the artery cant be stented.