Rates of cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty and open-heart surgery in adults in Canada

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rates of and waiting lists for cardiac catheterization, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and open-heart surgery in adults in Canada between Apr. 1, 1988, and Mar. 31, 1989. DESIGN: Mail survey. PARTICIPANTS: The directors of all 48 adult cardiac catheterization laboratories and the chiefs of all 33 adult cardiovascular surgery programs in Canada. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 61,116 cardiac catheterization procedures were performed, a rate of 236 per 100,000 population. The mean waiting times for elective procedures were weighted to reflect more accurately the differences between centres in the number of patients awaiting the procedures. The mean wait for elective cardiac catheterization was 8.5 weeks. There were 10,097 PTCA procedures done, a rate of 39 per 100,000 population. The mean wait for elective PTCA was 11.0 weeks, the longest wait occurring in Quebec (15.4 weeks). A total of 16,240 open-heart procedures were performed, a rate of 63 per 100,000 population. The mean wait for elective open-heart surgery was 22.6 weeks, the longest wait occurring in Quebec and British Columbia (more than 32 weeks). The rates for all three procedures were much lower in Canada than in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the cumulative wait for coronary angiography and PTCA or open-heart surgery may lead to major losses of productivity, delayed rehabilitation and reduced probability of return to previous levels of productivity. Regular collection of data such as ours should help to understand better the resources required for these specialized cardiac procedures.