Where Should I Go for My Cardiac Surgery?

In an observational study, outcomes correlated better with adherence to six quality-of-care measures than with hospital or operator volume.

In studies of cardiac surgery, high-volume operators and hospitals have consistently been associated with better outcomes than their lower-volume counterparts. Do quality-of-care practices affect outcomes independently of procedural volume? To find out, investigators collected data on 81,289 adults who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting performed by 1451 surgeons at 161 hospitals participating in a voluntary, fee-supported database. Quality measures were use or nonuse of antimicrobials on the operative day to prevent infection; appropriate antimicrobials; serial compression devices on the operative day to prevent venous thromboembolism; and aspirin, beta-blockers, and statins in the 2 days after surgery.

The mean patient age was 65, a…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute