Long-term outcomes favor heart surgery over stents and angioplasty

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery have a lower overall composite risk for heart attack, stroke, and death in the 4 years following the procedure compared to patients who undergo stenting or balloon procedures, according to an NHLBI-supported study released today at the 49th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.