# Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 6, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720 "2002-06-06T19:29:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720/1 "2002-06-06T19:29:15Z")

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Is CABG considered “open heart” surgery? If so, why?

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**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720/2 "2002-06-06T21:14:35Z")

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Yes. You have to open up the chest in order to do the grafts.

Angioplasty is not. It is considered a less-invasive cardiac procedure, because aside from a cut in the femoral artery (in the thigh) through which to snake catheters, guide wires, and various other devices, no opening is made.

I knew that binder I got at my (medical) company training would come in handy.

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**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720/3 "2002-06-07T03:59:26Z")

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There is a method called [keyhole CABG](http://www.siumed.edu/mitsig/research/keyhole.htm) being used in a few places which avoids the sternum being split and the whole chest opened up but it is limited to certain types of patients.

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**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cardiac-artery-bypass-graft-cabg-surgery/112720/4 "2002-06-07T12:54:49Z")

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I always thought that **open heart surgery** referred to the heart being opened, not the chest.