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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2006;132:457-458
© 2006 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Editorial

Evidence-based cardiac surgery

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Received for publication May 15, 2006; accepted for publication May 18, 2006.

^_* Address for reprints: Lawrence H. Cohn, MD, The Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115-6110 (Email: lhcohn@bics.bwh.harvard.edu).

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Earlier this year I attended the Cardiovascular Conference at Snowmass, Colorado, one of the longest running cardiology postgraduate courses (approximately 37 years), which brings together thought leaders in the various areas of acquired heart disease. I came away from this meeting very impressed that cardiologists worldwide are deriving an increasing amount of what they apply to their practice and care of their patients from evidence-based cardiology studies. Approximately 100 prospective randomized studies, mostly related to coronary artery disease, were discussed during that week, with enough study acronyms to test the most agile thinker. I reflected on this and wondered, (1) what are we doing in cardiac surgery to validate many of the applications we believe are the best techniques and therapies for patients, and (2) do we fully understand that our medical counterparts are basing their therapy for patients, including surgical therapy, on these evidenced-based studies?

Clearly, coronary artery bypass surgery has been reviewed in many of these trials. Recent studies from database outcomes strongly suggest that coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) should be more frequently used than stent . . . [Full Text of this Article]