[AZLiberty]

Is this why we haven't heard anything about Bill Clinton for a while?

[starvingstudent]

Gee, maybe it's the loss of blood to the brain??

[ScottM1968]

I was under the impression that a special vascular netting has been created to temporarily stop blood and other clots from making it to the brain through such procedures. Later, the netting can be removed from the arteries after the body has recovered a bit from the operation.

Surely this hasn't been commercialized yet, but it does point toward a possible solution.

As for blood stoppage to the brain, I would imaging they keep that under pretty tight control and that it is supplied enough to not be a concern to the patient.

[boris]

My double bypass was done "off pump"--which requires remarkable skill of the surgeon and cannot be done if the blockages are in the rear of the heart.

What I was told is that the pump damages red blood cells, leading to lack of oxygenation of the brain...I dunno.

--Boris