Risk stratification and risk scores

Risk stratification is an essential part of appropriately informing patients electing to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In addition, there is a greater need than ever to tailor revascularization appropriately, taking into consideration a patient's co-morbidities, coronary anatomy, personal preferences, and individual perception of risk. This chapter examines the important established and evolving contemporary clinical tools used to aid the Heart Team in this risk-stratification process. Risk scores based on clinical and anatomical variables alone and in combination are all explored. Other areas of discussion include risk scores based upon completeness of revascularization and decision-making between surgical and percutaneous-based revascularization in complex coronary artery disease.