The Pros and Cons of Bypass Surgery

According to American Heart Association statistics, in 1996 (the most recent year of available statistics), almost two million angiograms were performed at an average cost of $10,880 per procedure. This resulted in almost 600,000 bypass surgeries at $44,820 a shot, and 482,000 angioplasties (the balloon procedure for opening up arteries) at $20,370 each. The total bill for these procedures is over $50 billion a year.Other than the fact that they're costing us a bundle, the only thing definitely known about these procedures is that they do harm people. Roughly one in 25 patients having bypass, and about one in 65 undergoing angioplasty dies from the procedure. Believe it or not, there is not one shred of data to show that the vast majority of patients receive any benefit from coronary artery bypass surgery. Yet many physicians act reprehensibly, posing as fortunetellers to frighten patients into invasive procedures as the only option. Bypass surgery, or angioplasty, should be used only after conservative measures such as diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and certain drugs have been given an adequate trial.