In the early 1980s, cardiologists were still arguing as to whether bypass surgery to improve the coronary artery flow was worthwhile. There were doubts about its safety and its long-term benefits. In the early days, many bypasses closed off a few months after the operation, leaving the patients no better off.
These doubts are now dispelled. Bypass surgery is now accepted as improving the quality of life of thousands of angina sufferers, and as saving many lives. It has a very high success rate, and the restenosis rate is diminishing year by year.
To bypass surgery has been added balloon angioplasty and, more recently, laser and stent treatment.
Thousands of people have now enjoyed more than ten years of full, active lives after bypass and angioplasty operations. Their lives have been changed beyond belief The benefits, however, cannot be put down entirely to their surgery. The ones who have done best are those who changed many other aspects of their lives, too.
They stopped smoking, controlled their drinking, changed their eating habits, exercised more, lost their excess weight, and adopted an altogether new lifestyle. Their hospital treatment offered them a chance to start life again, and they took it. This must be the definitive and lasting message for everyone with angina.
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