Use of catheter-based and surgical coronary revascularization has steadily increased in North America. Introduction of catheter-based "new devices," including intracoronary stents, has expanded the range of patients who can be treated with percutaneous approaches. We sought to address trends in the practice of catheter-based and surgical coronary revascularization during 1989 to 1997. The 17 North American institutions participating in the NHLBI Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) periodically completed a 5-working day survey of all surgical and catheter-based coronary revascularizations. Data collected included patient demographics, vessel disease, prior interventions, and use of new devices or minimally invasive surgical techniques. The proportion of all procedures that were catheter based (vs surgical) increased from 52.1% in 1989/1990 to 62.0% in 1997 (p <0.001). Among surgically treated patients, prevalence of prior bypass surgery decreased from 13.4% in 1989/1990 to 7.5% in 1997 (p <0.001). In 1997, 3% of surgical procedures used minimal incisions or were performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. Among patients undergoing catheter-based intervention, prevalence of left main disease increased from 2.2% to 5.7% (p <0.001), myocardial infarction within 24 hours increased from 2.4% to 9.7% (p <0.001), and prior bypass surgery increased from 16.2% to 20.8% (p = 0.056). Use of new devices increased from 11.6% of catheter-based procedures in 1990 to 67.0% in 1997 (p <0.001). Compared with the early 1990s, catheter-based revascularization is currently more commonly used for patients with acute myocardial infarction, prior bypass surgery, or severe left main narrowing. These trends are likely due to the proliferation of new devices, especially intracoronary stents, since the mid 1990s.