Monitoring during coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Your medical team will monitor your vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rhythm, and blood oxygen levels, both during and after your coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Each team member has been trained to use devices placed both outside (noninvasive) and inside (invasive) your body.

Your anesthesiologist will begin to monitor your vital signs, including your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, and blood oxygen content, before surgery begins. He or she will note any irregular or abnormal readings and then closely monitor your vital signs during surgery, particularly the following:

Noninvasive monitoring during surgery

Vital sign	Monitoring device	Purpose
Blood pressure	Blood pressure cuff on your arm	Monitor changes in your blood pressure before, during, and after surgery
Heart rate and rhythm	Wires connected to your arms and legs that lead to a machine (EKG)	Monitor your heart's electrical activity during the procedure
Blood oxygen content	A pulse oximeter on your fingertip	Evaluate the amount of oxygen in your blood

Due to the serious nature of CABG surgery, your anesthesiologist will also use invasive monitoring devices to track your body's reaction to surgery during and after the procedure. The most common of these devices are described below.

Invasive monitoring during surgery

Monitoring device	Description	Purpose
Arterial line (A-line)	A thin, plastic tube inserted into an artery in your wrist	Monitor changes in your body's blood pressure during and after surgery Used to withdraw arterial blood, which is tested for oxygen levels
Pulmonary artery catheter	A thin, plastic tube inserted into a vein in your neck and threaded down into the heart and pulmonary artery	Monitor pressures within your heart Monitor blood flow through your heart
Central venous catheter	A thin, plastic tube (often containing the pulmonary artery catheter) inserted into a vein in your neck	Allow blood to be drawn for analysis during and after surgery Allow medications to be given directly into the large veins that lead to your heart