Cardiac surgeons in New York State who are less experienced with the recently introduced off-pump techniques in coronary bypass surgery are more likely to perform such operations on black patients, according to new research.
Writing in the Royal Society of Medicine’s, Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, the findings are based on over 15,000 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients in New York State.
Traditionally, CABG is performed using the cardiopulmonary bypass to circulate blood externally during the operation, giving the surgeon a stable and blood-free environment in which to operate. The use of the cardiopulmonary bypass is not without risk and many cardiac surgeons associate it with serious complications, including cognitive deficits, stroke, renal failure, and pulmonary dysfunction.
Off-pump surgery, which is performed on the beating heart without the use of the cardiopulmonary bypass, was reintroduced in the late 1990s because many surgeons believed it may decrease the incidence of complications.
“Our research shows that surgeons who have less experience with the off-pump technique are more likely to perform this technique on black patients, rather than on white patients,” said Professor Dana Mukamel of the University of California, Irvine.
“Racial disparities in access to heath care are well known throughout the United States. Black and minority groups usually do not have as much access as white patients to the latest technologies in medical care. However, in the case of off-pump CABG surgery they have more access, which is mostly due to surgeries performed by less experienced surgeons.”