LSAT Explanation PT 44, S2, Q2: Cardiologist: Coronary bypass surgery is commonly
LSAT Question Stem
The cardiologist's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Most Strongly supported question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is E.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
The question type for this problem is Most Strongly Supported (MSS). We need to find the answer choice that is most strongly supported by the cardiologist's statements in the passage.
Let's first summarize and clarify the passage. The cardiologist is discussing coronary bypass surgery and its use in treating coronary artery disease. They mention that other therapies, which are less expensive and less risky, can be as effective as bypass surgery. Additionally, the cardiologist points out that bypass surgery is especially debatable for single-vessel disease.
Now, let's go through the answer choices and see which one is most strongly supported by the cardiologist's statements.
Answer choice (a): The passage does not support the idea that bypass surgery is riskier than all alternative therapies. The cardiologist only mentions that certain other therapies are less risky, not all of them.
Answer choice (b): The passage does not provide any information about the frequency of bypass surgery over time. We cannot infer that needless bypass surgery is more common today than previously.
Answer choice (c): The cardiologist says that bypass surgery is especially debatable when only one vessel is involved, but this does not imply that bypass surgery should be performed when more than one vessel is diseased.
Answer choice (d): The passage states that bypass surgery is especially debatable for single-vessel disease, but it does not mention that it is especially expensive in this context.
Answer choice (e): This answer choice is correct. The passage states that bypass surgery is commonly performed when other equally effective, less risky remedies are available. Therefore, sometimes there are equally effective alternatives to bypass surgery that involve less risk.
So, the answer choice that is most strongly supported by the cardiologist's statements is (e).