On rare occasions, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is done on an emergency basis to treat a heart attack. Coronary artery bypass grafting, also called bypass surgery or "cabbage," may be needed when a heart attack cannot be safely and effectively treated with medicine or angioplasty. For example, bypass surgery may be done when there are blockages in the coronary arteries that cannot be reached during angioplasty or if angioplasty was tried but did not sufficiently widen the blood vessel.

Also, bypass surgery is often recommended in people with diabetes. Studies show that bypass surgery reduces the rate of death in people who have diabetes and heart attack when compared with angioplasty or thrombolytic therapy.²⁴

What to Think About

If muscles holding the heart valve in proper position were damaged by the heart attack, heart valve repair or replacement may be done at the same time as a coronary artery bypass.

After a heart attack, or after you have had angioplasty or bypass surgery, you may be encouraged to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program to help lower your risk of death related to heart disease. For more information, see the topic Cardiac Rehabilitation.