Skip to main content
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal
. 1992 Jan 15;146(2):163–168.

Coronary artery bypass grafting: how much does it cost?

H Krueger 1, J L Goncalves 1, F M Caruth 1, R I Hayden 1
PMCID: PMC1488374  PMID: 1735041

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To calculate the cost of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to compare it with the costs determined in two previous Canadian studies. DESIGN: Retrospective cost-analysis study. SETTING: A tertiary care referral hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty patients who had undergone successful triple and quadruple CABG between Jan. 3 and 30, 1989. MAIN RESULTS: The cost of CABG per patient varied from $10,982 to $33,676 (mean $14,328) (in 1988 Canadian dollars). The cost tended to increase with age and number of vessels grafted. Compared with the patients in the two previous Canadian studies our patients were older, had more vessels grafted and cost more to treat, even after the total hospital costs were adjusted for inflation. CONCLUSIONS: The population undergoing CABG is changing: it is older and has more diseased vessels. These changes have had a significant impact on the cost of CABG. Further study is required to determine the outcome and benefit of CABG in this group of patients.

Full text

PDF
163

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Finkler S. A. The distinction between cost and charges. Ann Intern Med. 1982 Jan;96(1):102–109. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-96-1-102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Jang G. C., Block P. C., Cowley M. J., Gruentzig A. R., Dorros G., Holmes D. R., Jr, Kent K. M., Leatherman L. L., Myler R. K., Sjolander S. M. Relative cost of coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery in a one-vessel disease model. Am J Cardiol. 1984 Jun 15;53(12):52C–55C. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(84)90746-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Keon W. J., Menzies S. C., Lay C. M. Cost of coronary artery bypass surgery: a pilot study. Can J Surg. 1985 May;28(3):283–286. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Konttinen M., Harjola P. T., Heinonen M., Valle M., Merikallio E., Frick M. H. Direct hospital costs in coronary bypass surgery. Ann Chir Gynaecol. 1985;74(6):265–269. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Laupacis A., Labelle R., Goeree R., Cairns J. The cost-effectiveness of routine post myocardial infarction exercise stress testing. Can J Cardiol. 1990 May;6(4):157–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Loop F. D., Christiansen E. K., Lester J. L., Cosgrove D. M., Franco I., Golding L. R. A strategy for cost containment in coronary surgery. JAMA. 1983 Jul 1;250(1):63–66. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Marty A. T., Matar A. F., Danielson R., O'Reilly R. The variation in hospital charges: a problem in determining cost/benefit for cardiac surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 1977 Nov;24(5):409–416. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)63433-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Monro J. L., Mollo S., Brookbanks S., Conway N., Ross J. K. The cost of cardiac surgery. Br Med J. 1978 Jun 24;1(6128):1684–1685. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6128.1684. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Naunheim K. S., Fiore A. C., Wadley J. J., McBride L. R., Kanter K. R., Pennington D. G., Barner H. B., Kaiser G. C., Willman V. L. The changing profile of the patient undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1988 Mar;11(3):494–498. doi: 10.1016/0735-1097(88)91522-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nightingale C. H., Robotti J., Deckers P. J., Allmendinger P. D., Lowe R., Low H. B. Quality care and cost-effectiveness. An organized approach to problem solving. Arch Surg. 1987 Apr;122(4):451–456. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1987.01400160077012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Reeder G. S., Krishan I., Nobrega F. T., Naessens J., Kelly M., Christianson J. B., McAfee M. K. Is percutaneous coronary angioplasty less expensive than bypass surgery? N Engl J Med. 1984 Nov 1;311(18):1157–1162. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198411013111805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stoney W. S., Alford W. C., Jr, Burrus G. R., Frist R. A., Thomas C. S., Jr The cost of coronary bypass procedures. JAMA. 1978 Nov 17;240(21):2278–2280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tomatis L. A., Schlosser R. J., Riahi M., Stockinger F. S., Kanten R. Cost containment via expense rationalization in open-heart surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1979 Mar;77(3):448–451. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association

RESOURCES