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Study: Tens of Thousands of Open Heart and Stent Surgeries Unnecessary
People with severe but stable heart disease from clogged arteries may have less chest pain if they get a procedure to improve blood flow rather than just giving medicines a chance to help, but it won't cut their risk of having a heart attack or dying over the following few years, a big federally funded study found. The results challenge medical dogma and call into question some of the most common practices in heart care. They are the strongest evidence yet that tens of thousands of costly stent procedures and bypass operations each year are unnecessary or premature for people with stable disease. "This study clearly goes against what has been the common wisdom for the last 30, 40 years" and may lead to less testing and invasive treatment for such patients in the future, said Dr. Glenn Levine, a Baylor College of Medicine cardiologist with no role in the research. Some doctors still may quibble with the study, but it was very well done "and I think the results are extremely believable," he said. Twelve years ago, a big study found that angioplasty was no better than medicines for preventing heart attacks and deaths in non-emergency heart patients, but many doctors balked at the results and quarreled with the methods. So the federal government spent $100 million for the new study, which is twice as large, spanned 37 countries and included people with more severe disease—a group most likely to benefit from stents or a bypass. -
Study: Tens of Thousands of Open Heart and Stent Surgeries Unnecessary
Having been in the medical world in a sideways fashion many years ago, it has long been my belief that the problem is a totally human one....those who 'DO' medicine, love to do the most complex procedures possible, love to be 'at the forefront' of their stuff, making them feel holy & brave as they receive all the congratulations for what they 'do'. It's a sad thing that human traits get in the way often of rational decision making ! It's time for the medical world to seriously examine itself for it's attitude of whatever is more complex must be better & take a long look at slower, less meddling ways to keep people at REASONABLE health, often doing NOTHING is a better idea than risking a complex surgery - and I as a likely patient in my old age am very fearful of being just another guinea pig in some surgeon's quest for fame & glory ! I want minimal medicine, minimal being messed about with, and I only want to survive in the most active way as long as possible, not just LIVE as long as possible, IOW - when I am no longer able to look after myself I would MUCH rather have a choice to get off the planet gracefully than be faced with the prospect of lingering around in a hospital while they make valiant efforts to keep me breathing for no purpose other than that & to make the medical staff look like heros ! Time for a big rethink of priorities in my view.......let me go gracefully & mind your own business in my decision !!!
