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Angioplasty versus bypass surgery for multivessel coronary artery disease with left ventricular ejection fraction <

J H O'Keefe1, J J Allan, B D McCallister

  • 1Mid America Heart Institute, St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri.

Insights

For high-risk patients with multivessel coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction, angioplasty offers better early outcomes, while bypass surgery provides superior long-term benefits, including reduced angina and improved survival, especially with complete revascularization.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Clinical Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) are a high-risk group.
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) improves survival in this subgroup compared to medical therapy.
  • Comparative data on angioplasty versus CABG in this specific patient population are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the early and late outcomes of multivessel angioplasty versus CABG in patients with multivessel CAD and LVD.
  • To evaluate the risks and benefits associated with each revascularization strategy in this high-risk cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients treated with CABG versus 100 matched patients treated with multivessel angioplasty.
  • Comparison of in-hospital outcomes, including mortality and stroke rates.
  • Assessment of late follow-up outcomes over 5 years, including repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, angina relief, and survival.

Main Results:

  • Angioplasty group had shorter hospital stays (4.3 days vs. 12.8 days) and similar in-hospital mortality (3% vs. 5%).
  • Stroke occurred more frequently in the CABG group (7% vs. 0%).
  • Late follow-up favored CABG with superior angina relief (99% vs. 89%) and a trend toward improved survival (76% vs. 67%). Repeat revascularization and myocardial infarction were higher after angioplasty.

Conclusions:

  • Early outcomes favor angioplasty, while late outcomes favor CABG in patients with multivessel CAD and LVD.
  • Complete revascularization was associated with similar late survival rates regardless of the revascularization method.
  • The choice of revascularization strategy should consider both early risks and long-term benefits for this high-risk patient group.

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