ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:1980-1986. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2008.01.053
© 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Phillip P. Brown
David J. Cohen
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Brown, P. P.
Right arrow Articles by Simon, A. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Brown, P. P.
Right arrow Articles by Simon, A. W.
Related Collections
Right arrow Professional affairs
Right arrowRelated Article

Original Articles: Adult Cardiac

The Frequency and Cost of Complications Associated With Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery: Results from the United States Medicare Program

Phillip P. Brown, MDa, Aaron D. Kugelmass, MDb, David J. Cohen, MD, MSc, Matthew R. Reynolds, MD, MSd, Steven D. Culler, PhDe,*, Ansley D. Dee, MSe, April W. Simon, RN, MSNa

a Cardiac Data Solutions, Inc, Atlanta, Georgia
b Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
c Saint-Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri
d Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
e Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia

Accepted for publication January 17, 2008.

* Address correspondence to Dr Culler, Health Policy and Management, Emory University, 1518 Clifton R, NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 (Email: sculler{at}sph.emory.edu).

Background: We estimate the incremental hospital resource consumption associated with treating selected complications experienced by Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: This retrospective study, using the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file, identified 114,233 Medicare beneficiaries who survived CABG without concomitant valve repair during a hospitalization for fiscal year 2005. The frequencies of seven complications were determined: hemorrhage or postoperative shock, reoperation, postoperative adult respiratory distress syndrome, new-onset hemodialysis, postoperative stroke, postoperative infection and septicemia. The observed and adjusted incremental hospital resources consumed (cost and length-of-stay) in treating beneficiaries experiencing each of the selected complications were estimated.

Results: The mean cost of a hospitalization associated with a CABG procedure among Medicare beneficiaries was $32,201 ± $23,059, and the mean length of stay was 9.9 ± 7.8 days. After adjusting for patient demographics and comorbid conditions, the 13.64% of Medicare beneficiaries experiencing any of the study complications consumed significantly more hospital resources (incremental cost, $15,468) and had a longer length of stay (incremental stay, 5.3 days).

Conclusions: Despite ongoing improvements in outcomes, major complications remain common after bypass grafting and add substantially to hospital costs for these procedures. These findings suggest that the potential cost savings of redirecting resources currently spent on treating complications will help make the "business case" for investing in patient safety initiatives and best practices guidelines shown to reduce selected complications.


Related Article

Invited Commentary
Hari R. Mallidi
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2008 85: 1986-1987. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
A. M. Speir, V. Kasirajan, S. D. Barnett, and E. Fonner Jr
Additive costs of postoperative complications for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting patients in Virginia.
Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 2009; 88(1): 40 - 45.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
H. K. Song, B. S. Diggs, M. S. Slater, S. W. Guyton, R. M. Ungerleider, and K. F. Welke
Improved quality and cost-effectiveness of coronary artery bypass grafting in the United States from 1988 to 2005.
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 2009; 137(1): 65 - 69.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
H. R. Mallidi
Invited Commentary
Ann. Thorac. Surg., June 1, 2008; 85(6): 1986 - 1987.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2008 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.