"Surgery and the Nurses Role"
             2. CAD, Angina, MI The disease process and diagnosis
             3. Pre-operative therapy and medications
             4. Nurses pre-operative role: Assessment, Diagnostic studies, Medications, Education
             5. Operation: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
             CABG: The nurses role and the surgical procedure
             The nurse plays a major role in the success of a cardiac surgery patient. They evaluate the patient pre-operatively, post-operatively, during surgery, and in cardiac rehab afterwards. This paper discusses the different diagnosis and treatments for patients undergoing (CABG) Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.
             Underlying causes that make a need for CABG surgery
             The major cause of CAD (coronary artery disease) is atherosclerosis. This is a pathologic process that causes thickening of artery walls. The thickening usually starts in individuals after age 20. These fibrous plaques or lesions usually produce localized narrowing in the proximal portions of the major coronary arteries. The blood supply to the myocardium can be impeded by several mechanisms: the lesion creates a fixed obstruction so that blood flow through the artery cannot increase in response to demands, the vessel lumen becomes completely occluded, or portions of clot or plaque embolize. The growth of obstructive lesions in the coronary arteries cause other blood vessels to provide alternative routes for blood flow to the myocardium. If the blood vessel becomes completely occluded, myocardial infarction is likely to occur. There are three major risk factors in CAD: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cigarette smoking. Elimination or control of these factors offers hope of preventing disease and slowing its progression. Higher cholesterol levels, usually above 240 mg/dL increases risk for CAD. The risk factors for CAD that cannot be modified include: heredity, older age, and male sex. The individuals who are 30% over ideal body weight and who smoke...