An incision is made in the middle of the septum to reach the heart.
The oxygenator is connected to the right atrium where the deoxygenated blood exits the heart and enters the machine where oxygen is diffused in the blood.
The cooling system then cools down the blood so that it would in turn cool down the body in order to reduce its demand for oxygen so that the tissue does not get damaged throughout the length of the operation.
The grafts that are bypassed to the heart vessels and the heart-lung machine are sutured into position by the surgeon. Depending on the type of surgery required, there may be single, double, triple or quadruple bypass required – refers to the number of arteries being bypassed.
Cool saline water is poured over the heart in order to keep the cardiac tissue safe from damage for as long as possible.
A potassium injection is administered into the heart and along with the cooling process, the heart slows down and stops beating. Now it is ready for the operation.