Cardiac Surgery

Heart By-Pass Surgery

What is coronary bypass surgery?

The most commonly performed major surgery in North America, coronary bypass surgery takes a piece of vein from the leg or chest and uses it to replace part of a heart artery that has been blocked or narrowed. The surgeon may need to perform a single, double, triple, quadruple or quintuple bypass. This simply refers to the number of coronary arteries bypassed (partly replaced) during the surgery. Note that having a greater number of bypasses does not imply a person is more sick, nor does a lesser number mean the person is more healthy.

Why do I need coronary bypass surgery?

If your doctor has diagnosed you with coronary artery disease, and your disease has not be controlled by medication or lifestyle changes, and an angioplasty is not possible (or it succeeded but the artery has narrowed again), you may be a good candidate for coronary bypass surgery.

Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood vessels that supply your heart become narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits known as plaque. This plaque narrows the arteries – and sometimes even blocks them – making it difficult for the blood to get through.

Why do I have to wait so long for coronary bypass surgery?

Coronary bypass surgery requires a highly specialized medical team and is not available in all communities. As a result of rationing of care by the Canadian public health system, you may have to wait for others ahead of you in line, particularly if your case is not deemed “urgent.” This is a particular concern with coronary bypass surgery, because your risk of complications is significantly higher if the surgery is done on an emergency basis.
Timely Medical Alternatives can help you find a private clinic to expedite your diagnosis so you can get your surgery before it becomes an emergency.

What happens after coronary bypass surgery?

After your surgery, you’ll be taken to the intensive care unit for several hours to several days and carefully monitored. Your total hospital stay will likely be in the five to seven day range and your total recovery period will be somewhere between four and 12 weeks – depending on your overall health and the nature of your surgery. Your surgeon can give you a better estimate of anticipated recovery time at the time of your consultation.

Your surgeon will likely recommend a cardiac rehabilitation program. It will also be important for you to make lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, improving your diet and increasing exercise.

About Us

Timely Medical Alternatives Inc. was founded in 2003 as Canada's first facilitator of private pay medical services and diagnostic imaging. Since then, we have expedited private medical services for thousands of clients and in the process, have saved the lives of 6 of our fellow Canadians.

Services

Timely Medical Alternatives Inc. is able to expedite virtually any surgery, diagnostic imaging, or biopsy. Many of our private medical services are available in Canada; some are available in the US, where we have a network of hospitals and private medical services clinics with which we work. There is no charge for our service.

Procedure

The role of our firm is to act as a facilitator, brining our clients together with private medical services and clinics which can provide the needed services and / or procedures in a timely manner. Once arrangements have been made to the mutual satisfaction of our client and their physician, we have no ongoing involvement in the doctor-patient relationship.

Waitlist

This distinguishing feature of Canadian public healthcare is the nearly universal waitlists for virtually all diagnostic procedures and for surgeries. We are able to facilitate private medical services and diagnostics within 2 – 3 days and surgeries as quickly as 48 hours, in urgent cases. Many of our referrals are to facilities within Canada.