LSAT 117 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q2

LR Question 2 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Cardiologist: Coronary bypass surgery is commonly …

QUESTION TYPE: Most Strongly Supported

FACTS:

1. Bypass surgery is commonly performed even when certain other therapies would be equally effective.
2. The other treatments are inexpensive and less risky.
3. For single-vessel disease, bypass surgery can be especially problematic.

ANALYSIS: The stimulus tells us other therapies are sometimes as effective as bypass surgery and these therapies pose less risk.

Put those two facts together and you get answer E.

___________

1. The stimulus says certain other therapies pose less risk. It doesn’t say bypass surgery is riskier than all alternative therapies. “Certain” ≠ “all.”
2. No time comparison is given between current rates of needless bypass surgery and past rates.
3. The cardiologist says bypass is especially debatable for single-vessel disease, which does NOT mean it should automatically be performed for multi-vessel disease. “Especially debatable” only means there is more reason to question it in one situation than another.
4. We know alternative therapies are relatively inexpensive. It says nothing about bypass surgery being especially expensive for single-vessel disease.
5. CORRECT. This is a direct combination of Facts 1 and 2 stated above.