What's the difference between angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery?

If you opt for an angioplasty procedure, you'll undergo a nonsurgical procedure that will have you up and on your feet sooner. An angioplasty only takes a couple of hours to perform and you'll remain under local anesthesia for the duration, which is appealing to many patients. You'll probably just need to stay in the hospital one night for observation, and then you're back home and in your normal routine within the week.

Coronary bypass surgery usually requires about week in the hospital and up to three months to fully recover. Minimally invasive micro-surgery procedures cut your recovery time down to a few weeks, with only three to four days in the hospital. You could be a candidate for this kind of operation if:

There are also some restrictions for angioplasties. You probably aren't a good candidate if:

There are some other things you should consider when deciding between the two procedures. While angioplasty and bypass surgery have similar long-term outcomes and mortality rates, you're more likely to need a repeat procedure with an angioplasty. Sometimes the artery closes back up -- this is called restenosis. A 2008 study in Germany found that 14 percent of angioplasty patients needed another procedure within a year of the first. Only six percent of CABG patients required more work [source: ABC News].

Another study from 2007 gives us a more long-term picture. After five years, about 10 percent of bypass patients needed more treatment, and 46 percent of the angioplasty patients needed repeat procedures [source: The Washington Post]. One important thing to consider is that these stats are for angioplasties that don't use the metal stents. These tiny little pieces of arterial scaffolding have gone a long way in helping to shore up the interior walls of the blood vessels after the balloon is removed. And now there are drug-eluting stents. These stents are coated with time-released, blood clot-fighting drugs. For the 2007 study, the number of repeat procedures needed using the drug-coated stents fell from 46 percent to 40 percent [source: The Washington Post]. A study from 2005 concluded that long-term success rates with angioplasty alone was at 60 percent, using stents came in at 75 percent and using drug-coated stents hit the 90 percent mark [source: medicalmoment.org].

Although the last thing on your mind when dealing with life and death is cost, it's a factor for many people. A 2006 study found that at the five-year mark, costs for angioplasty were about 19 percent lower than with bypasses. This percentage equals almost $20,000 in savings [source: American Heart Association].

Determining which procedure to undergo is up to you and your family. Your doctor will recommend a course of action based on your condition and severity of the blockage, but it's up to you to understand the ins and outs of each procedure. Angioplasties are cheaper, less invasive and will have you on your feet sooner, but you're more likely to need another one at some point. CABG demands longer recovery time and will cost you more, but you may not need to go back in for follow-up procedures. If you have coronary blockage, get the facts, talk to your doctor and family, and you'll be able to make the best decision that fits your bank account and lifestyle. More than anything, start exercising and eating right, and your chances at living a long and healthy life will increase.