I am 33 years of age and I undergone through CABG in dec 2012. Earlier I used to smoke and my diet was not at all balanced. Not after the surgery I regularly go for a walk of 4 kms in the morning, take my medicines regularly, follow balanced diet but miss sometimes :). I have quit smoking but I use to take onle beer around 650ml that is too alternate day. I want to know that how many years I can live with the same life style. Is it true that CABG can give around 10 years of life span and after that the problem reoccur??
Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to Chat Doctor. I understand your concern. That is true. About re-occurrence nothing could be told, but it is true that there are certain probabilities for bypasses to close. The probability for a saphenous vein graft, used for bypass, to be found close is 50% after ten years. Whereas, for the arterial grafts (left or right internal mammary arteries) is around 8-15%, depending on various studies. Anyway, I do not think that these figures should worry you. The most important thing is that the surgery went well, and you can live a normal and healthy life now. Even if the re-occurrence happens, there are other alternatives to treat the coronary arteries, such as stent implantation into a certain native coronary artery, bypass of which can be found narrowed or closed. As long as you are free of symptoms, there is nothing to worry about, however 6-monthly controls should be done. There are heralding symptoms, such as angina or shortness of breath, that speak for a narrowing or a new blockage within a graft vessel. In that case, coronary angiogram to control the native arteries and the patency of the grafts should be performed, and a strategy for treating new eventual blockages should be constructed. I hope this is helpful. Best regards, 