“There has never been a more exciting time to be a cardiothoracic surgeon,” the veteran surgeon said in a statement. 

The topic was explored at length in a new scientific statement presented at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

"The singular message to the public is that the optimal treatment for multivessel coronary artery disease—to improve not only long-term survival but also lower your risk of complications—is coronary artery bypass surgery," one specialist said in a statement. 

A team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons collaborated on the new analysis, reviewing data from more than 50,000 patients and developing a new risk model for clinicians.  

Joanna Chikwe, MD, founding chair of the department of cardiac surgery at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, compares transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) to mitral valve surgery for primary mitral regurgitation.

John H. Calhoon, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon in Texas, has been an STS member since 1992. 

The new guideline calls for a “stepwise approach," followed by close clinical surveillance, when treating uncomplicated TBAD. In some cases, however, earlier endovascular treatments may be necessary. 

The study's authors hope that “just in case” prescriptions can become a thing of the past.