Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery that improves blood flow to the heart. CABG is one treatment for people who have severe coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease (CAD).
During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from the body is connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This creates a new passage, and oxygen-rich blood is routed around the blockage to the heart muscle.