Cardiac Surgery Death, Infection Rates Drop

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) released a report today that says the state’s rates of death and hospital-acquired infection resulting from cardiac surgery have fallen from 2006 to 2007. The study says a patient’s chance of death has fallen from 5.15% to 3.92% when receiving cardiac valve surgery; the likelihood of infection dropped slightly, from 6.30% to 5.96%.

The information fits with a continuing state trend of decreased death rates. PHC4 spokeswoman Stephanie Suran says death rates for all cardiac surgery have almost halved over the last fifteen years. They’re at their lowest since her organization began this type of public reporting; Suran says having their success and failure rates published helps with doctors’ accountability.

In addition to decreased mortality rates, the PHC4 reports the average number of open heart procedures per hospital has decreased steadily, from 499 cases in 2000 to 315 cases in 2007. That’s a 37.8% decrease.