A 48-year-old member asked:
What is the difference between open heart surgery and by-pass surgery?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. John Szawalukanswered
Cardiology 33 years experience
Not much: Open heart surgery is any surgery in which the chest cavity /sternum is opened. It doesn't necessarily mean bypass surgery is performed. Bypass surgery is a type of open heart in which blockages are bypassed with conduits that are arterial or veinous.
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Last updated Feb 27, 2016
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