The design, patient population and outcomes from the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) randomized trial and registries.

Abstract

The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) was designed to compare CAGB and PTCA for patients with symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease. The randomized trial reported significant differences in 7-year survival favouring CABG. However, for the 353 patients with treated diabetes mellitus, an overwhelming benefit associated with CABG was seen (mortality: 23.6% CABG vs 44. 3% PTCA, p=0.0011), whilst no treatment difference was observed for the 1476 non-diabetic patients (13.6% CABG vs 13.2% PTCA, p=0.72). Patients assigned to PTCA experienced fewer in-hospital Q-wave MIs, but these patients received more revascularization procedures and more often had angina during follow-up.