Stopping the Heart During Bypass Surgery Increases Survival Odds

Boston (DbTechNo) – A study comparing two different techniques used during coronary bypass surgery has found that using a heart-lung machine to keep the patient’s blood flowing is better than stopping the actual heart from beating.

Researchers analyzed data from 18 Veterans Affairs medical centers for their study and found that more patients survived and had a smaller risk of heart attacks within a year of surgery if their hearts were removed during their operations.

Out of the patients studied, heart related deaths were noted in 2.7% of those whose by-pass surgery involved not stopping the heart, while 1.3% of patients whose surgery involved the heart-lung device died.

Heart by-pass surgery is a common procedure in the US, and involves stiching new blood vessels in and around the heart to improve blood flow to the organ.

The study was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine,

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