Research shows heart surgery not always needed

Jet, April 7, 1997

Many patients who suffer mild heart attacks may not need angioplasty or bypass surgery, a recent study found.

Patients recovering from "non-Q-wave" heart attacks do not benefit from routine aggressive procedures, says the study's leader, William Boden of the Veterans Affairs Upstate Health Care System in Syracuse, NY. "Non-Q-wave" heart attacks are generally considered minor heart attacks because they do not destroy as much muscle as other kinds of heart attacks.

Researchers tracked 920 patients recovering from non-Q-wave heart attacks. Half of the patients received early angioplasty or bypass surgery, and half were treated more conservatively by undergoing more diagnostic tests first.

After 2 1/2 years, the early treatment group had a 34 percent higher death rate.