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Emory Cardiac Surgery achieves elite distinction

The Emory Heart & Vascular Center’s cardiac surgery team* achieved top performance compared with benchmarks in two key overall metrics in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD). The STS ACSD houses approximately 6.9 million surgical records and gathers information from more than 3,800 participating physicians, including surgeons and anesthesiologists from more than 90 percent of groups that perform heart surgery in the U.S.

The STS ACSD is considered the gold-standard source of data for quality cardiac-surgery programs, and it is a central registry in value-based programs and national hospital rankings. Three stars denotes the highest category of quality among cardiac-surgery programs.

Three-star Rating for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

For the most recent measurement period (July 2018 – June 2019), Emory achieved an overall three-star rating for isolated CABG, which was observed in only 7.7 percent of cardiac-surgery programs in the STS ACSD. Emory has maintained its three-star performance in CABG the past 2.5 years.**

Three-star Rating for Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement (MVRR)

For the most recent measurement period (July 2016 – June 2019), Emory achieved an overall three-star rating for isolated MVRR operations, which was observed in only 6.3 percent of cardiac-surgery programs in the STS ACSD.

An Elite Echelon

Only two percent of cardiac programs in the STS ACSD achieved a three-star rating in both isolated CABG and isolated MVRR operations for the most recent measurement period (July 2018 – June 2019).


* For the STS ACSD, Emory Healthcare is rated as one cardiac surgery program comprising Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital.

** Three-stars CABG Jan. 2017 – June 2019.


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