Two surgical options are most common in treating coronary artery disease, to help remove plaque and repair damage to the arteries that pump blood into the heart. These operations are an aggressive form of treatment and are the last resort when lifestyle changes and medications do not work. Doctors may choose to do an angioplasty, wherein the surgeon places a ballon to reinflate the artery and a stent to maintain this opening; and coronary artery bypass, which requires grafting replacement arteries around the blockage.

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