Main Navigation

Off-Pump Bypass Surgery

During cardiopulmonary bypass surgery the heart-lung machine takes over the work of the heart and lungs while the heart is stopped for surgical repair. However, using the heart-lung machine may lead to problems for some patients during and after surgery. In off-pump bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine is not used. Rather than stopping the heart, technological advances and new kinds of operating equipment now enable surgeons to hold stable portions of the heart during surgery. With a particular area stabilized, the surgeon can then bypass the blocked artery.