“Between Bypass surgery and angioplasty what is better?”
My father is 73 years old and has been detected with 4 blocks in his heart. He is severely diabetic and hence the doctor has suggested he could either go for a bypass or angioplasty. Between the two what is better?
8 Answers
For your father: coronary bypass surgery.
For an individual, either one may be the best. We have to take into account how long the potential lesion is, how chronic is and what the other blood vessels below it looks like. The best procedure will vary from patient to patient.
Usually angioplasty is the first line of treatment but a cardiac catheterization is usually done to assess the coronary occlusion
That depends on his overall condition and life expectancy, and to some extent, his coronary anatomy. You need to discuss both with the cardiologist and the surgeon involved
It depends on the situation. I recommend evaluation by a cardiologist who can discuss the details of each.
It's hard to answer without knowing the other risk factors. There is no hard and fast cut off, but the surgeon should be able to tell you what's the better option considering his other comorbidities and the anatomy of the blockage.
Ramandeep Sidhu, MD, FACS, RPVI
Ramandeep Sidhu, MD, FACS, RPVI
With newer generation drug eluting stents, outcomes are about same; angioplasty less invasive so it is preferred
It depends on the location and extent of disease angioplasty good for iliac arteries and short segment narrowing or blockage of legs. But angioplasty other than iliac location has a high rate of recurrence and will need future intervention surgery better option for more extensive disease and longer lasting. Consult only a vascular surgeon not a cardiologist or radiologist since they only do angioplasty
