Why ACC AHA Guidelines 2021 are not endorsed by Cardiac surgeons? Dr OP Yadava explains....

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association had been drafting guidelines process for 3 years but declined to accept the final recommendations. Cardiovascular diseases (CDs) are globally the major leading cause of death, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. Coronary artery disease (CAD), the narrowing of the coronary arteries, is the most common procedure treated by Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Survival estimates among CABG patients were 92% at 5 years, 77% at 10 years 57% at 15 years, and 40% at 20 years. Several measures are putforth for proper management and to decrease the mortality rate.

ACC/AHA guidelines 2021 is one such attempt in managing coronary artery disease, unfortunately which wasn't accepted by cardiac surgeons. The main purpose was to replace six existing guidelines, and they raised concern in three main areas, starting with the downgrading of evidence issue of Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in multivessel Coronary artery disease (CAD).

Highlighting a serious problem in the guideline-writing process that calls for ongoing discussion about how to achieve equitable representation by multidisciplinary experts across specialties both surgical groups expressed their views. Respecting the right of the surgeons on the writing committee to remain as authors on these guidelines, they putforth their concerns of CABG and cardiac death rate management.

We have here with us today, Dr. O P Yadava, CEO and Chief Cardiac Surgeon at the National Heart Institute who will be sharing his valuable comments.