Patient preferences in coronary revascularization,

Background This study was performed to assess patient preferences for consequences of 3 coronary revascularization procedures: angioplasty, conventional coronary bypass surgery, and minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. Method A nationwide sample of 3 types of respondents was recruited: respondents with no heart disease (n = 89), respondents with heart disease who had not undergone cardiac surgery (n = 97), and respondents with heart disease who had undergone cardiac surgery (n = 118). Results Sixty-two percent ranked the risk of repeat revascularization as the most important concern, followed by postprocedure pain (22%), time to recovery of physical functioning (8%), time in hospital (4%), and body appearance (4%). Respondents preferred angioplasty to conventional and minimally invasive cardiac surgery if the 3-year risk of repeat revascularization with angioplasty were to decline to less than 28% and 21%, respectively. Conclusion These data suggest that patient preference should influence individual and policy recommendations when choosing among coronary revascularization procedures. (Am Heart J 1999;137:1153-62.)