Angioplasty Versus Coronary Bypass Surgery - What's the Difference?

When a heart patient has one or more blockages in blood vessels around the heart the condition must be corrected if the person is to avoid a first, or subsequent, heart attack.

When angioplasty will be the method by which the problem is corrected the patient is usually placed on a anticoagulant medication in the days prior to when the procedure will be performed.

The patient is anesthetized or sedated, depending on which blood vessels are involved. A catheter (or guide-wire) is then introduced into the femural artery (in the groin) With the use of imaging equipment, the catheter, which contains a balloon that can be inflated to widen the artery, is guided to the area of the blockage. Once the catheter has reached the area that has been narrowed by the accumulation of build-up the tiny balloon is inflated in order to widen the artery.

A stent (a tiny mesh device) may be put in place to keep the artery open.

Angioplasty is often used when there is only one blockage. It is common procedure, but it does have its risks. Follow-up care is required, of course. A stent is not something that is put in place and then "just forgotten".

Coronary bypass surgery takes a completely different approach to correcting the matter of blockages in arteries. In coronary bypass surgery the surgeon re-routes the flow of blood by grafting a section of healthy artery to the area just before the blockage. The healthy section of artery is usually taken from healthy tissue in the leg, which means that the heart patient will have surgical procedures performed both around the heart and in the leg.

An advantage to coronary bypass surgery over angioplasty is that after recuperation the patient is not left with a stent and any complications that can be associated with one.

When multiple blockages exist coronary bypass surgery is more often the means by which the condition is corrected.

Age, overall health, and the absense of a long history of heart problems can contribute to fewer complications with this procedure. Follow-up care can depend on the patient, any complications arising from the surgery, and the speed at which recovery takes place.

Two good sites for information about heart conditions and disease, heart health, and treatments for patients with heart conditions are the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org) and Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com).