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 1996 and Cardiac
Surgery in Australia 1995 have been jointly produced by the
AIHW and the National Heart Foundation of Australia. The reports
are the latest in a 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 1996 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.
Co-author of the report, Ms Susana Senes, said there were an
estimated 13,854 coronary angioplasty procedures in Australia in
1996, 22% more than the previous year. 'Angioplasty is three times
as common in men as it is in women and patients are most frequently
between 60 and 79 years old,' Ms Senes said.
The report shows that there were 13,518 hospitalisations
involving PTCA procedures, with an average length of stay of 5.5
days. 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 86% of patients
treated in 1996 being discharged from hospital with an adequate
reduction of all lesions and no angina or complications.
'An interesting finding is that there has been a doubling over
the previous year in the use of stents-metal mesh tubes used to
keep the arteries open. They were inserted in 54% of PTCA patients
in 1996,' Ms Senes said.
Cardiac Surgery in Australia 1995 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 21,000 cardiac surgery procedures were performed in
1995, a 3.6% increase over the previous year.
Other findings in the report include:
- There were an estimated 17,150 operations involving coronary
artery bypass grafts.
- More than 1,600 operations were for congenital heart defects.
Septal defects were the main single reasons for congenital heart
surgery.
- More than 100 people received new hearts in Australia in 1995.
This included 13 combined heart-lung transplants.
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.
9 December 1999
Further information: Ms Susana Senes, AIHW, ph.
02 6244 1052, or Dr Paul Magnus, AIHW, ph. 02 6244
1149.
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer, ph.
02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue (coronary
angioplasty and cardiac surgery) for
details.