A randomized trial comparing coronary angioplasty with coronary bypass surgery

Patients with multivessel coronary heart disease who are treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) seem to have similar rates of subsequent heart attacks and death as those treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, significantly more PTCA patients require further surgery. Researchers studied 392 patients with coronary artery disease in more than one artery. PTCA was performed on 198 patients while the other 194 patients had CABG. Within three years after the procedure, approximately 6% of CABG patients and 7% of CABG patients had died. Approximately 20% of PTCA patients and 15% of CABG patients had a heart attack during follow-up. Decreased blood supply to areas of the heart was noted in approximately 10% of PTCA patients and 6% of CABG patients. The type of treatment did impact the rates of additional vascular surgery. Fifty-four percent of PTCA patients and 13% of CABG patients had additional heart-vessel surgery during the follow-up period.