Coronary bypass surgery (CABG) in Turkey: what it is and how it works
Coronary bypass surgery (CABG), short for coronary artery bypass grafting, is an operation that gives blood a new route around narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. The coronary arteries feed the heart muscle; when fatty plaque (atherosclerosis) narrows them, the muscle may not get enough blood, causing angina, breathlessness or a heart attack. The surgeon takes a healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in the body and sews one end to the aorta, or uses an artery already attached, and the other end to the coronary artery beyond the blockage. Cardiac surgery units in Turkey perform CABG routinely for stable patients who have been assessed by a cardiologist.
This guide explains what the operation involves, when it is chosen instead of stents or medicines, what the evidence shows, the cost compared with the UK, US and Germany, recovery, risks and how to check a hospital. If you have chest pain now, a suspected heart attack or unstable symptoms, call your local emergency number: this page is for planned surgery. Other heart operations are listed in our cardiology treatments in Turkey hub.
Coronary Bypass Surgery (CABG) in Turkey: how it works
- 1Send your photos and questions
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- 2Get a written plan and price
A surgeon reviews your case and you receive a personal plan with the price, usually within 24 hours. Compare hospitals; nothing is paid in advance.
- 3Travel, surgery and aftercare
Airport pick-up, examination, surgery and check-ups in Istanbul, then follow-up with your surgeon after you fly home.
- Within about 2 hours
A coordinator replies in your language by WhatsApp or e-mail.
- Within 24 hours
A surgeon reviews your photos and you receive a written plan with the surgeon's name and the price.
- You decide
Ask anything and take your time — nothing is paid in advance.
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Which vessels are used as bypass grafts?
Surgeons choose grafts for how long they stay open. The internal mammary (internal thoracic) artery, taken from behind the breastbone and usually left attached at its origin, is the first choice for the main artery at the front of the heart because it has the best long-term patency. The saphenous vein from the leg is used for other arteries and is quick to harvest, although veins block more often over the years than arteries. The radial artery from the forearm is a further arterial option in selected patients. Using arteries for more than one graft is common in younger patients. The number of grafts (single, double, triple, quadruple) follows the number of blocked arteries and where the narrowings sit, not the seriousness of the operation by itself.
How is CABG performed, step by step?
CABG is done under general anaesthesia and takes roughly three to six hours. In the standard (on-pump) method the surgeon opens the breastbone (median sternotomy), stops the heart with a cardioplegia solution and connects a heart-lung machine that takes over circulation while the grafts are sewn in. In off-pump CABG the grafts are made on the beating heart with stabilising devices, which some surgeons choose for patients with a heavily calcified aorta; trials have not shown a clear survival difference overall and it needs an experienced team. Minimally invasive approaches through a smaller chest incision exist for selected patients. Afterwards you go to intensive care for one to two days with a breathing tube removed within hours, chest drains and monitoring.
Does coronary bypass surgery (CABG) work? What the evidence says
CABG relieves angina well and, for the right patients, extends life. Trials and guidelines from bodies such as the European Society of Cardiology and the American Heart Association support surgery in patients with significant narrowing of the left main artery, with disease in all three main arteries, and in people with diabetes or weak heart pumping function, where bypass has been shown to do better than stenting in several large trials. For people with stable angina and one or two blocked vessels, medicines and lifestyle change remain a reasonable first step, and the ISCHEMIA trial did not find that an invasive strategy lowered the risk of death compared with medical therapy alone. It is not a cure: the grafts bypass the blockage but do not stop atherosclerosis, so stopping smoking, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol and taking prescribed medicines are essential.
CABG, stents or medicines: which suits which patient?
The choice depends on the number and position of blockages, the pumping function of the heart, diabetes, the patient's age and other illnesses. A heart team of a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon should discuss it, and you should be offered a written explanation.
| Option | Best suited to | Typical limits |
|---|---|---|
| CABG | Left main or three-vessel disease, diabetes, weak heart function | Major surgery; longer recovery; sternum must heal |
| Stent (PCI) | One or two blockages, urgent opening during a heart attack | More repeat procedures in complex disease; needs antiplatelet tablets |
| Medicines and lifestyle | Stable angina with limited blockage | Does not remove narrowings; symptoms may persist |
If a cardiologist has already told you that an artery blockage needs surgery, bring the angiogram report and images when you ask for a second opinion, so that the surgeon in Turkey can compare like with like.
Coronary bypass surgery (CABG) cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany
The figures below are approximate ranges for a planned operation with hospital and intensive-care stay, not hospital quotes. The price depends on the number of grafts, on-pump or off-pump method, the days in intensive care and ward, and any extra procedures such as a valve repair. Each hospital confirms its own price in a written quote after reviewing your angiogram and tests.
| Country | Approximate cost range |
|---|---|
| Turkey | €8,000 – €20,000 |
| United Kingdom | €18,000 – €42,000 |
| United States | €60,000 – €160,000 |
| Germany | €20,000 – €48,000 |
What changes the coronary bypass surgery (CABG) price: the number of grafts and whether arteries are used, the room category, complications that extend the stay, and combined operations such as replacement of the aortic valve. A package normally includes pre-operative tests, the surgeon and anaesthetist, intensive care, the ward stay, medicines at discharge and transfers; ask for what it excludes, such as treatment of complications or a longer stay.
Who is a good candidate for CABG, and who should not travel?
Good candidates are patients with stable, confirmed coronary disease whose cardiologist has recommended bypass and who are fit to fly. Travel is not advised if you have unstable angina, a recent heart attack, severe heart failure, uncontrolled infection or a recent stroke: those patients should be treated where they are. Kidney disease, lung disease, a history of stroke, diabetes and obesity increase the operation risk, and the surgeon will use a risk score to explain it. Some patients are better served by the tests and treatment close to home, particularly when follow-up with a local cardiologist will matter for years.
CABG recovery: hospital stay, flying home and cardiac rehabilitation
Most people spend five to seven nights in hospital after one to two days in intensive care. You are encouraged to walk the day after surgery and to use breathing exercises. Hold a pillow against the chest when coughing and avoid lifting, pushing and pulling for about six to eight weeks while the breastbone heals; driving is usually paused for four to six weeks. Plan on staying in Turkey for ten to fourteen days so the team can check wounds, rhythm and blood tests before the flight; the surgeon decides when flying is safe, and you should move about and drink water during the journey. Most people are back to light activity by six weeks and to desk work in six to twelve weeks. A supervised cardiac rehabilitation programme at home is strongly recommended and lowers the chance of further heart problems.
Risks and complications of coronary bypass surgery (CABG)
The risk is low for planned operations in fit patients but not zero. Possible complications include bleeding, infection of the chest or leg wound, irregular rhythm (atrial fibrillation), heart attack, stroke, kidney injury, pneumonia, a sternum that heals slowly and memory or concentration changes after the heart-lung machine, which usually settle. Grafts can narrow again, particularly vein grafts. The NHS and the American Heart Association describe these risks and advise that results are best in units that do many cases and publish their outcomes. Ask the hospital for the surgeon's experience with your type of procedure and for the unit's own mortality and complication figures.
How to choose a cardiac surgery hospital, and questions to ask
Check that the surgeon is a specialist in cardiovascular surgery registered in Turkey, that the hospital is licensed and has an intensive-care unit, a cardiologist and a blood bank on site, and that you receive a written plan and price after the team has seen your angiogram. Red flags are a quote without a medical review, pressure to fly while you are unstable, no named surgeon, and no plan for follow-up at home. Read how it works and ask the coordinator:
- How many CABG operations does the surgeon perform each year?
- Which grafts are planned, and will an arterial graft be used?
- Do you offer on-pump or off-pump surgery, and why for me?
- What is included in the price, and what if I need a longer stay?
- Who will review my results when I am home?
When you are ready, request a plan through our free quote page, and send your angiogram report and recent tests.
Frequently asked questions
CABG is an operation that routes blood around blocked coronary arteries using a graft from the chest wall, leg or arm. It improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves angina; it does not remove the underlying artery disease.
It relieves angina well and, in left main or three-vessel disease, in people with diabetes or weak heart function, trials show it can extend life. It does not stop atherosclerosis, so medicines and lifestyle remain essential.
Approximate prices run from €8,000 to €20,000 in Turkey, against about €18,000 to €42,000 in the UK. The price depends on the number of grafts, the method and the days in intensive care; the hospital confirms it in a written quote.
A stent holds one artery open through a small puncture, while bypass opens the chest and creates new routes around several blockages. Bypass is usually preferred for complex disease or diabetes; a heart team should explain the choice.
Expect five to seven nights in hospital, no heavy lifting for six to eight weeks and light activity by about six weeks. Many people return to desk work within six to twelve weeks, with cardiac rehabilitation helping.
You are under general anaesthesia. Afterwards the chest wound and any leg or arm wound are sore, controlled with painkillers, and pain usually eases markedly over the first two weeks.
Arterial grafts often stay open for many years and vein grafts tend to narrow sooner, but this varies between people. Stopping smoking and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol help the grafts last.
Planned surgery for stable patients can be done safely in a licensed hospital with an experienced cardiac team. Patients with unstable symptoms or a recent heart attack should be treated locally.
Plan for ten to fourteen days: five to seven nights in hospital plus time for the surgeon to check wounds and rhythm before you fly. Complications or combined operations can lengthen the stay.