The procedure to reroute blood around blocked coronary arteries using grafts is called what?

• A. Coronary artery bypass graft
• B. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
• C. Metabolic equivalent table
• D. Premature ventricular contractions

Answer: (A)

Rerouting blood around blocked coronary arteries using grafts describes coronary artery bypass grafting. In this operation, a graft vessel—often the internal mammary artery or a vein from the leg—is connected to the aorta or to a coronary artery beyond a blockage, creating a new route for blood to reach heart muscle that would not receive adequate flow if the artery stayed narrowed. This approach is typically chosen when multiple arteries are blocked or when blocks aren’t easily treated with catheter-based methods.

In contrast, a balloon-and-stent procedure opens a narrowed artery from inside the vessel without adding new conduits for blood flow. A metabolic equivalent table is a scale for estimating exercise intensity, not a surgical procedure, and premature ventricular contractions are a type of arrhythmia, not a treatment involving bypass grafts.