The Decline of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

A trend toward nonsurgical management of coronary artery disease raises questions for practitioners, patients, and healthcare delivery systems.

What is the future of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery? To provide some insight into recent trends, investigators used a national sample of hospital data to assess changes in the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and CABG over the years 2001 through 2008.

During the study period, the overall rate of coronary revascularization declined by 15%. The rate of CABG surgery decreased significantly by 38%, while the rate of PCI decreased nonsignificantly by 4%. The authors estimate that 130,000 fewer CABG surgeries were performed in 2008 than in 2001. The decline in CABG surgery was consistent across subgroups. Hospital volumes of CABG surgery also declined, from a median caseload of 253 to 183. The percentage of hospital…

Reviewing Author

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardUnited Healthcare; Element Science; Eyedentifeye, F-Prime

EquityHugo Health; Refactor Health; Element Science

Grant/Research SupportPfizer; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Janssen Research and Development, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Cancer Institute; American Heart Association

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardUnited Healthcare; Element Science; Eyedentifeye, F-Prime

EquityHugo Health; Refactor Health; Element Science