Coronary artery bypass surgery versus coronary stenting: risk-adjusted survival rates in 5,619 patients

Rollo P Villareal1, Vei-Vei Lee, MacArthur A Elayda

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute and St Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston 77030, USA.

Insights

Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) had higher in-hospital mortality than stenting. However, long-term survival rates were similar for both procedures in patients with multivessel disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Health Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) and coronary stenting are primary revascularization methods for multivessel coronary artery disease.
  • Choosing between CABG and stenting involves considering procedural risks, short-term outcomes, and long-term survival.
  • Previous studies have yielded mixed results regarding the comparative effectiveness of these revascularization strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare in-hospital mortality and long-term survival after first-time coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) versus coronary stenting.
  • To identify patient subgroups that may benefit from one revascularization strategy over the other.
  • To evaluate the intermediate-term effectiveness of CABG and stenting in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 2,826 patients undergoing first CABG and 2,793 patients undergoing first coronary stenting from January 1995 to December 1999.
  • Patients were stratified into 8 anatomic groups based on vessel disease extent and left anterior descending coronary artery involvement.
  • Proportional hazards methods were used to adjust mortality rates for baseline differences in disease severity and comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • In-hospital mortality was significantly higher for CABG (3.6%) compared to stenting (0.75%; adjusted OR 8.4, P < 0.0001).
  • At a mean 2.5-year follow-up, risk-adjusted survival rates were similar between CABG (91%) and stenting (95%; adjusted OR 1.26, P = 0.06).
  • Stenting showed a survival advantage in patients >65 years, those with non-insulin-requiring diabetes, and those with noncoronary vascular disease.

Conclusions:

  • Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) is associated with higher periprocedural mortality than percutaneous coronary intervention (stenting).
  • The survival advantage of stenting diminishes by 2.5 years post-procedure, with equivalent long-term survival observed between the two methods.
  • In patients with multivessel disease amenable to stenting, there appears to be no intermediate-term survival advantage of CABG over stenting.