Question:

Should my mother wait a month after her heart attack to have bypass surgery?

My mother had her second heart attack on 26th Jan 2014. She has 5 blockages & doctor suggested bypass surgery, but now they are telling her that they will do her surgery after one month, because after an attack they cannot do bypass as heart becomes weak. Is this true? How can we wait for one month?

Submitted by Naseem from India on 02/05/2014

Answer:
by Denton A. Cooley, MD

There is some statistical evidence that certain early stages of myocardial injury (as in a heart attack) respond poorly to bypass surgery. Delaying an operation may have merit.