Coronary artery disease has significant social and economic implications. Health expenditures have increased in recent decades, more than the economy itself, with significant consequences, either reducing spending in other areas or increasing the budget deficit. It is necessary to create tools to identify the most cost-effective treatments, which can assist clinicians in their therapeutic decisions so that the maximum possible benefit is reached with the lowest possible cost. Efficiency must be measured by final treatment goals in which the most effective interventions are those with the lowest costs. We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of coronary artery disease treatment strategies, medical treatment, percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass surgery, with a focus on comparative analyses between these treatment modalities.
Keywords: coronary artery bypass graft; coronary artery disease; cost–effectiveness; myocardial ischemia; percutaneous coronary intervention.