Question:

What keeps coronary artery bypasses from leaking?

I had a bypass 7 years ago and always wanted to know when the surgeon sews the vein on the heart how does it not leak?

Submitted by Robert from Ohio on 07/16/2014

Answer:
by Denton A. Cooley, MD

This depends on the clotting ability of the patient’s blood and the technical performance of the anastomoses (suturing the graft on the heart to the artery) by the surgeon.