Two new reports in the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare's Cardiovascular Disease Series (CVD) provide details about
specific heart treatments for the latest years for which data are
available.
Coronary Angioplasty in Australia 1995 and Cardiac
Surgery in Australia 1994 have been produced jointly by the
AIHW and the National Heart Foundation. The reports are the first
to be published in a new series tracking cardiac procedures in
Australia since the mid-1990s when the advent of new techniques
introduced significant changes in practice.
Coronary Angioplasty in Australia 1995 covers patterns
and trends in the use of the percutaneous transluminal coronary
angioplasty technique-commonly known as coronary angioplasty or
PTCA-as well as its indications, complications and success
rates.
The report's author, Ms Susana Senes-Ferrari, said there were
over 11,000 coronary angioplasty procedures in Australia in 1995,
17% more than the previous year.
'An interesting finding is that over the 3 years to 1995 there
was an almost 10 fold increase in the use of stents-metal mesh
tubes used to keep the arteries open. They were inserted in 30% of
procedures in 1995.'
Stable angina and unstable angina remain the main indications
for coronary angioplasty, but the report shows heart attacks are
also becoming a significant indication for the treatment.
The treatment is generally successful, with over 70% of patients
treated in 1995 being discharged from hospital with an adequate
reduction of all lesions and no angina or complications.
Cardiac Surgery in Australia 1994 covers patterns and
trends in the use of different heart surgery procedures for
acquired and congenital conditions, and associated deaths. It shows
that more than 19,000 cardiac surgery procedures were performed in
1994, a 2.5% increase over the previous year.
The national average rate for coronary artery bypass graft
surgery was 837 per million population, with the rates varying
across the States from 707 per million in Tasmania to just over
1,000 per million in South Australia.
This report also shows that over 100 people received new hearts
in Australia in 1994. This included 14 combined heart/lung
transplants. There were 41 lung transplants that year.
The AIHW medical adviser, Dr Paul Magnus, said the two reports
would be of great interest to cardiac surgeons, cardiologists,
hospital planners, pharmaceutical and equipment manufacturers,
policy advisers and researchers.
11 February 1999
Further information: Susana Senes-Ferrari, ph.
02 6244 1052, or Dr Paul Magnus, ph. 02 6244 1149.
For media copies of the report: Lena Searle, ph.
02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue (coronary
angioplasty and cardiac surgery) for
details.