Aortocoronary bypass, ie the bridging of clogged heart vessels, was first performed in the former Czechoslovakia 50 years ago by doctors at the General Hospital.

On the Czech Statehood Day on October 28, 1970, prof. Lichtenberg and doc. Bartoš at the 1st Surgical Clinic of the University Hospital I and the Faculty of General Medicine, Charles University in Prague, the first coronary artery bypass grafting to a fifty-four-year-old man with ischemic heart disease. This was a crucial milestone in the treatment of coronary heart disease and heart surgery in general.

Aortocoronary bypass is a surgical procedure in which the cardiac surgeon bridges the affected section of the coronary artery, thus ensuring a sufficient supply of blood, and therefore oxygen, to the cells of the heart muscle. The procedure restores the oxygen supply, improves the function of the heart muscle and reduces the risk of a heart attack. At present, around 8,500 to 9,000 cardiac surgeries are performed in the Czech Republic.

Aortocoronary bypass remains the best method for patients with left coronary artery disease and for patients with three-artery disease.