A CARDIOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE
The research described here is the most recent of nine studies comparing angioplasty and bypass surgery in a scientifically rigorous way. They all produced similar results.
But patients facing a choice between the two procedures need to consider more than recovery time and the prospect of a return trip to the hospital. When weighing the two options, the most important thing to ponder in light of all these comparative studies is whether the study results apply to you. These studies calculate average outcomes over thousands of cases. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary — the specific nature of your condition, such as whether you have a block age in one artery or several, should have considerable influence on the decision. …show more content…
But in order to participate, these people had to be eligible for either bypass or angioplasty, with no clear best choice. And in fact, only about 1 in 20 patients with multiple blockages qualified for participation. That means that if you have multiple blockages, these study results really apply to you only if you are like that 1 person in 20 — equally eligible for either bypass or angioplasty.
The chances are that you're not, and that one choice is better for you. For example, if you have just one or two blockages that are also small — the kind that responds best to angioplasty — your physician might recommend trying angioplasty first. Alternatively, if you have four or five blockages, some of which cannot be treated by angioplasty, you might prefer to go with surgery.
There are other reasons one procedure may be a clear choice for you. Most doctors recommend angioplasty if you have only one blocked vessel. Also, many participants in these studies had no prior damage to their hearts, such as that caused by heart attacks. For those with prior damage, as well as people with diabetes, surgery is often
The research described here is the most recent of nine studies comparing angioplasty and bypass surgery in a scientifically rigorous way. They all produced similar results.
But patients facing a choice between the two procedures need to consider more than recovery time and the prospect of a return trip to the hospital. When weighing the two options, the most important thing to ponder in light of all these comparative studies is whether the study results apply to you. These studies calculate average outcomes over thousands of cases. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary — the specific nature of your condition, such as whether you have a block age in one artery or several, should have considerable influence on the decision. …show more content…
But in order to participate, these people had to be eligible for either bypass or angioplasty, with no clear best choice. And in fact, only about 1 in 20 patients with multiple blockages qualified for participation. That means that if you have multiple blockages, these study results really apply to you only if you are like that 1 person in 20 — equally eligible for either bypass or angioplasty.
The chances are that you're not, and that one choice is better for you. For example, if you have just one or two blockages that are also small — the kind that responds best to angioplasty — your physician might recommend trying angioplasty first. Alternatively, if you have four or five blockages, some of which cannot be treated by angioplasty, you might prefer to go with surgery.
There are other reasons one procedure may be a clear choice for you. Most doctors recommend angioplasty if you have only one blocked vessel. Also, many participants in these studies had no prior damage to their hearts, such as that caused by heart attacks. For those with prior damage, as well as people with diabetes, surgery is often