HC411R - Bypass Surgery
vs. Angioplasty
Debra: This is Healthcare 411. A new study
finds bypass surgery better than angioplasty at relieving chest pain from
coronary artery diseaseMore next.
[PSA]
Narrator:
Every year more
than 15 million Americans have surgery. Most operations are not emergencies, which
means that you’ll have time to learn about your operation and make certain it’s
the best treatment for you. And you’ll have time to work with your surgeon to
help make the surgery as safe as possible. Be active in your health care to
ensure you receive quality care.
To find out
more about important questions to ask before surgery, visit ahrq.gov/consumer. A message from the
U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
[End
PSA]
Debra: This is Healthcare 411. For 15
million Americans affected by coronary artery disease, choosing a treatment is
challenging. But a new AHRQ-funded review of research may make it a
little easier.
AHRQ’s
supervisor of the review team, Dr. Art Sedrakyan
Sedrakyan:
The review
found patients with coronary disease that needed intervention were more likely
to get relief from angina, a type of chest pain, and less likely to need repeat
procedures after coronary bypass surgery rather than balloon angioplasty with
or without a stent.
Debra: Which coronary disease patients does
this apply to?
Sedrakyan:
The study
results apply to patients
with preserved heart
function and without extensive coronary disease.
This means they have a single artery blockage, blockage of two arteries,
or some forms of less-severe blockage of three arteries.
Debra: What did your study find
regarding survival rates?
Sedrakyan:
Our study suggests
that bypass surgery and angioplasty patients may have about the same survival
rates but this needs to be studied further. Also, patients who choose bypass
surgery have a slightly higher risk of having a stroke within 30 days of the
procedure.
Debra: A summary of the study is posted in
the Oct. 15th online version of Annals of Internal Medicine.
For more
health care topics, go to healthcare411.org.
I’m Debra James. Healthcare 411 is produced by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.