Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, or "bypass" surgery, is usually performed on patients suffering from coronary artery disease, which develops when fatty deposits accumulate in arteries, limiting blood flow to the heart and depriving it of oxygen. In bypass surgery, veins from another part of the body, or arteries from the heart, are grafted to the coronary artery so that blood is routed around the obstruction.
A recent study raised concerns that heart bypass surgery may have a negative effect on patients' cognitive skills.