Q: I want to know whether coronary artery bypass graft sugery is better than angioplasty with stent procedure and which is a better option. I have heard of some new stents which are coated with special drugs to delay restenosis of the stent, are they better? It would be very kind of you if you could answer my questions soon. Thanking you, Ajit Kumar

A:Both procedures are equally efficacious in improving blood supply to the deficient heart muscle. Angioplasty and stenting is a non-surgical procedure with obvious advantages since it involves less discomfort and a short hospital stay and post-procedure recovery. It is not useful for all patients and has the disadvantage of a high recurrence rate - about 15-20%. Newer stents have reportedly brought down the recurrence to 2% in the short term. A longer follow-up will tell us if the low recurrence is maintained.