KEY POINTS:
The number of heart operations in Auckland has collapsed by a fifth since the nation's leading cardiac hospital shifted premises.
New Zealand's comparatively low rate of state-funded bypass and valve surgery, compared with other developed countries, contributes to what specialists have called New Zealanders' "dramatic" 35 per cent greater chance than Australians of dying within eight years of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
Have you had to wait for a heart operation? Here is the latest selection of Your Views:
