Surgery More Likely Than Angioplasty To Relieve Pain For Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Interesting report that compares the 2 procedures...and study results...BD

"Choosing a treatment for coronary disease has long been a difficult challenge," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "But this new evidence-based report provides a vital reference to help doctors, patients, and their families make the best possible decision."

Patients with mid-range coronary artery disease are more likely to get relief from painful angina and less likely to have repeat procedures if they get bypass surgery rather than balloon angioplasty with or without a stent, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The analysis drew on 23 randomized controlled trials that compared treatments for patients with mid-range coronary disease treatable with either angioplasty or bypass surgery. As defined by the report, mid-range disease may occur in three ways: a single blockage of the vital left anterior descending artery, blockage of two arteries, or some forms of less-severe blockage of three arteries.