Abstract

Aims: To investigate whether, over the 21 year period 1980–2001, there had been a reduction in the risk of repeat revascularisation or death from cardiovascular disease in the cohort of all patients who were treated by coronary revascularisation in Western Australia.

Setting: State of Western Australia.

Patients: All patients treated by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 1980 and 2001.

Design: Cohort study.

Main outcome measures: Risk of repeat coronary artery revascularisation procedures (CARP) and risk of death from cardiovascular disease after first CARP.

Results: After a CABG procedure, the two year risk of repeat revascularisation remained low (less than 2%) across the period 1980–2001. For PCI, however, this risk declined significantly from 33.6% in 1985–9 to 12.4% in 2000–1. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease after a CARP declined by about 50% between 1985 and 2001.

Conclusions: Outcomes such as the risk of repeat revascularisation and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease have improved significantly for patients who underwent CARPs across the period 1980–2001. This has occurred despite an increasing trend in first CARP rates among older people and those with a recent history of myocardial infarction.