Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures are carried out to improve blood flow to the heart in patients with:

• coronary artery disease (narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fatty deposits)
• angina (pain or discomfort in the chest due to narrowed arteries)

The purpose of the operation is to help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

A first-time, isolated procedure means that it is being performed on the patient for the first time, with no other procedures at the same time.

The surgery involves using blood vessels from elsewhere in the body (often from an artery inside the chest wall). These are then positioned from the aorta (main vessel leaving the heart) to beyond the blocked parts of the affected arteries.

The Cardiac Surgery Team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham performed 223 of these procedures during 2013-14 and 273 during 2014/15.