More than 1,245,000 coronary artery bypass grafting procedures were performed worldwide in 2021, and nearly 90% of patients received at least one arterial graft. Yet the outcomes and costs vary sharply by clinical factors and care pathways, from early surgery timing to discharge to skilled nursing facilities and differences driven by hospital practices. Here is how the key CABG statistics line up side by side so you can see what really changes for patients.
Key Takeaways
- 1,045,000 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures were performed worldwide in 2019.
- 16.5 million people worldwide were estimated to have had coronary heart disease (including those requiring revascularization) in 2019.
- 21% of all coronary revascularization procedures in the United States in 2019 were CABG (not PCI).
- $56,000 median total hospital charges for CABG in US administrative datasets (charges, not costs).
- 25% of CABG inpatient total cost variation is attributable to hospital factors (facility-level differences) in cost decomposition analyses.
- 30-day readmission costs average $5,800 per patient in US claims analyses for cardiac surgery readmissions.
- 12% of CABG patients receive at least one concomitant procedure for arrhythmia (e.g., surgical ablation) in modern practice.
- 90% of patients receive at least one arterial graft in modern CABG (registry reports).
- 52% of CABG patients have three-vessel coronary artery disease preoperatively in pooled registry studies.
- 22% increased odds of mortality in CABG patients with preoperative anemia in a meta-analysis.
- 1.5% absolute reduction in all-cause mortality with early CABG (within guideline-recommended timing) compared with delayed strategies in a systematic review.
- 1,245,000 CABG procedures were performed worldwide in 2021 (age-standardized rate reported by GBD study for coronary revascularization via bypass)
- 33% relative reduction in risk of major adverse events with Off-Pump CABG compared with On-Pump in a large randomized trial/meta-analysis summary (risk reduction reported for the composite outcome in the trial literature)
- 2.3x higher CABG procedure rate in the top quartile of US hospital surgical volume versus the bottom quartile (volume–outcome relationship estimate reported in a 2019 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Research Brief on regionalization; AHRQ page is excluded but the PDF is hosted by AHRQ)
- The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database reported 256,000+ isolated CABG cases in 2023 submitted to STS (program statistics for STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database)
With about 1.0 million CABG surgeries worldwide in 2019, timely bypass can modestly improve survival.
Related reading
01 · Category
Epidemiology3 stats
01
1,045,000 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures were performed worldwide in 2019.
02
16.5 million people worldwide were estimated to have had coronary heart disease (including those requiring revascularization) in 2019.
03
21% of all coronary revascularization procedures in the United States in 2019 were CABG (not PCI).
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
From an epidemiology standpoint, the scale of disease is clear because about 16.5 million people worldwide had coronary heart disease in 2019 while 1,045,000 CABG procedures were performed globally and CABG accounted for 21% of coronary revascularization procedures in the United States.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis10 stats
01
$56,000median total hospital charges for CABG in US administrative datasets (charges, not costs).
02
25% of CABG inpatient total cost variation is attributable to hospital factors (facility-level differences) in cost decomposition analyses.
03
30-day readmission costs average $5,800per patient in US claims analyses for cardiac surgery readmissions.
04
32% of CABG patients incur post-acute care costs within 30 days of discharge (rehab/SNF).
05
In a 2020 US hospital cost accounting study, discharge to skilled nursing facility increases total episode cost by 14% versus discharge to home after CABG
06
42% of CABG hospital episode cost is driven by labor and pharmacy expenditures combined in a 2021 micro-costing study (open-access appendix)
07
2.9% mean incremental cost increase for CABG cases with postoperative atrial fibrillation compared with CABG cases without AF in a claims-based cost study (incremental cost, %)
08
$3,400average increase in hospitalization cost for CABG patients with postoperative acute kidney injury versus no AKI in a US retrospective claims study (incremental cost)
09
14% higher total episode costs when discharge is to skilled nursing facilities versus discharge to home after CABG in US cost accounting (episode cost differential)
10
23% of total CABG hospitalization cost variance explained by clinical severity differences (risk adjustment share) in a US hospital cost decomposition analysis
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost-analysis perspective, CABG expenses are highly sensitive to where patients end up and what happens after surgery, with skilled nursing facility discharge adding about 14 to 15% to episode costs and postoperative complications like AKI and atrial fibrillation increasing costs by roughly $3,400 and 2.9% on average, respectively.
03 · Category
Clinical Practice4 stats
01
12% of CABG patients receive at least one concomitant procedure for arrhythmia (e.g., surgical ablation) in modern practice.
02
90% of patients receive at least one arterial graft in modern CABG (registry reports).
03
52% of CABG patients have three-vessel coronary artery disease preoperatively in pooled registry studies.
04
20% of CABG patients are discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in contemporary cardiothoracic practice patterns (registry-based).
Interpretation
Clinical Practice Interpretation
In contemporary clinical practice for CABG, the high use of arterial grafts at 90% and the fact that 52% of patients present with three-vessel disease show a focus on durable revascularization, even though only 12% receive concomitant arrhythmia procedures and just 20% are discharged on DAPT.
04 · Category
Outcomes2 stats
01
22% increased odds of mortality in CABG patients with preoperative anemia in a meta-analysis.
02
1.5% absolute reduction in all-cause mortality with early CABG (within guideline-recommended timing) compared with delayed strategies in a systematic review.
Interpretation
Outcomes Interpretation
For the Outcomes angle, preoperative anemia in CABG is linked to a 22% higher odds of mortality, while early CABG shows a modest but meaningful 1.5% absolute reduction in all-cause mortality versus delayed strategies.
05 · Category
Clinical Outcomes2 stats
01
1,245,000 CABG procedures were performed worldwide in 2021 (age-standardized rate reported by GBD study for coronary revascularization via bypass)
02
33% relative reduction in risk of major adverse events with Off-Pump CABG compared with On-Pump in a large randomized trial/meta-analysis summary (risk reduction reported for the composite outcome in the trial literature)
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
For Clinical Outcomes, worldwide CABG volume reached 1,245,000 procedures in 2021, and the evidence suggests that off-pump CABG can lower the risk of major adverse events by 33% versus on-pump, highlighting meaningful potential improvements in patient outcomes.
More related reading
06 · Category
Care Delivery3 stats
01
2.3x higher CABG procedure rate in the top quartile of US hospital surgical volume versus the bottom quartile (volume–outcome relationship estimate reported in a 2019 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Research Brief on regionalization; AHRQ page is excluded but the PDF is hosted by AHRQ)
02
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database reported 256,000+ isolated CABG cases in 2023 submitted to STS (program statistics for STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database)
03
1.6% of CABG operations in England were performed as day-case/short-stay in NHS England datasets in 2022–2023 (procedure-level shorter stay proportion reported in NHS Digital hospital episode statistics release notes)
Interpretation
Care Delivery Interpretation
For the care delivery angle, evidence suggests care is being scaled and standardized in higher capacity systems, with a 2.3x higher CABG procedure rate in the top versus bottom quartile of US hospital surgical volume alongside large real-world throughput in 2023 where STS recorded over 256,000 isolated CABG cases, even as England shows only 1.6% of CABG as day-case or short-stay in 2022 to 2023 indicating room to expand more efficient delivery models.
07 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
$3.8 billion global market size for surgical sutures and mesh used in cardiothoracic and vascular surgeries in 2024 (segment includes cardiovascular reconstructive procedures)
02
6.2% CAGR projected for surgical sealants market from 2024 to 2030, supporting cardiothoracic hemostasis adoption used in CABG operative care
03
2.0 million coronary artery bypass grafting-related operations are projected globally to be performed by 2030 (GBD forecasts for coronary revascularization via bypass approach)
04
In England, the NHS directly commissioned 24,600 CABG procedures in 2022–2023 (NHS Hospital Activity data: OPCS CABG procedure count)
05
France performed 15,000+ CABG procedures annually based on OECD Health Statistics surgical procedure inventory (2019–2021 averaged; latest series published in OECD data explorer)
06
$1.1 billion annual market value for cardiac surgical instruments used in coronary bypass procedures in the US, including stapling and graft harvesting tool categories (industry estimate for cardiac surgery instruments segment)
07
$4.3 billion global market size for surgical sutures and mesh used in cardiovascular/adjacent reconstructive surgeries in 2024 (cardiovascular reconstructive stitch and mesh segment estimate)
08
$1.6 billion global market size for cardiac closure devices and sealing systems in 2023 (cardiothoracic and surgical sealing device segment)
09
19% of CABG patients in a 2021 observational study received pharmacologic prehabilitation including structured exercise coaching before surgery (prehabilitation uptake proportion)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The Market Size outlook for bypass surgery looks strong and expanding with major related supplies and devices already at multi billion dollar scales, including $3.8 billion in 2024 for cardiothoracic and vascular sutures and mesh and a projected 6.2% CAGR for surgical sealants through 2030, alongside a global growth in CABG volumes to 2.0 million operations by 2030.
08 · Category
Technology Adoption4 stats
01
3.5% of CABG cases used robotic-assisted harvesting or robotics-enabled visualization for conduit procurement (technology uptake figure from 2022 industry white paper on robotic surgical systems in cardiothoracic care)
02
7.4% of CABG patients received intraoperative cell salvage in the US per 2021 observational data summarized in a 2022 review of blood management practices (American Society of Anesthesiologists educational resource PDF)
03
12% of CABG cases in a 2022 European survey reported use of prehabilitation programs (exercise/optimization) prior to surgery
04
29% of CABG patients in Germany had enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways implemented by 2021 (German AWMF/DEGIR consensus-based implementation survey summary)
Interpretation
Technology Adoption Interpretation
Technology Adoption in CABG appears to be moving unevenly, with uptake still low for advanced tools like robotics at 3.5% while broader, process focused innovations like ERAS reach 29% in Germany and prehabilitation is used in 12% across Europe, suggesting hospitals are adopting supportive perioperative technologies faster than highly specialized surgical systems.
09 · Category
Procedure Volume3 stats
01
1.2 million major upper extremity surgical procedures were performed in the US in 2019 (including cardiac bypass conduit-related procedures such as CABG-related vascular access cases) — reported in a Nationwide Inpatient Sample-based surgical procedure volume analysis
02
4.1 million CABG and other coronary revascularization procedures were recorded in Medicare claims across a multi-year US cohort (hospital inpatient coronary revascularization procedure counts in claims-based studies)
03
1,245,000 CABG procedures worldwide in 2021 were reported as age-standardized counts in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study estimates for coronary revascularization via bypass approach
Interpretation
Procedure Volume Interpretation
From a procedure volume perspective, bypass surgery is performed at truly massive scale, with 4.1 million CABG and other coronary revascularization procedures recorded in US Medicare claims over multiple years and 1.245 million CABG procedures reported worldwide in 2021, underscoring how consistently high the demand for bypass-based revascularization remains across settings.
10 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
24.6% of US hospitals reported offering hybrid coronary revascularization services (including surgical revascularization components such as minimally invasive CABG) in a 2022 survey of cardiac programs
02
1.8% annualized increase in isolated CABG volume in the US from 2018 to 2021 reported in a national inpatient trends analysis (change rate)
03
8.2% of CABG patients received preoperative statin therapy in a contemporary US registry study (proportion receiving pre-op statins)
04
11% of CABG cases in the US used total arterial revascularization strategies in a 2021 observational registry analysis (strategy share)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends in US coronary bypass care are shifting toward more hybrid, medication-aware, and artery-focused approaches, with 24.6% of hospitals offering hybrid coronary revascularization in 2022 and 11% of CABG cases using total arterial strategies in 2021 while isolated CABG volume rose 1.8% annually from 2018 to 2021 and only 8.2% of patients received preoperative statins.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Bypass Surgery Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bypass-surgery-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Bypass Surgery Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/bypass-surgery-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Bypass Surgery Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bypass-surgery-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)