which is more expensive, bypass or angioplasty?

Answer 1

Angioplasty could be a one day procedure or an overnight stay. Bypass is a complete surgical procedure with a minimum of a 3-5 day hospital stay.

Answer 2

Answer to this question depends on the state of the patient's coronary arteries. If easily manageable by angioplasty then angioplasty is cheaper. If the coronary artery has severe disease no easily repaired by angioplasty then bypass is actually cheaper in the long run. The stent in angioplasty gets re-epithelialised in about 6months (i.e. linings of arteries grow over the stents) and narrowing at the site may occur again. On the other hand bypass usually last a good 10 years. So if you choose angioplasty when the doctor suggested bypass, you could end up requiring multiple trips to hospital +/- more stents and heart attacks/symptoms that will be cheaper than a successful bypass that normally expected to last around 10 years before any trouble occurs (on average that is)

Answer 3

Bypass should be more expensive as it is a major surgical procedure in which chest is to be opened. In angioplasty, the narrowed artery is dilated through a balloon catheter.