Hospitalizations following coronary artery bypass : more than we think! : an Australian perspective

In this study, Butt et al. report an uncomfortable truth. Following isolated coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), 16.7% of patients are hospitalized within 30 days and 40.2% within 1 year [1]. This report should awaken us from our complacency. We all believe we are doing CABG well. In one sense we are. The perioperative mortality is <1% in many centres, despite increasing age, comorbidities and surgical complexity. However, we continue to be less conscious of the potential ongoing medical issues that affect CABG patients after discharge [2].