Heart Bypass Surgery (CABG)

Our heart bypass surgery report will tell you how successful Minnesota hospitals are in performing this procedure. Here we offer two pieces of information: 1) the number of CABG procedures a hospital performed and; 2) outcomes as measured by mortality (death) rates.

Proficiency Ratings - Research suggests that patients who undergo complex procedures have better outcomes at hospitals where the procedure is performed more frequently (proficiency). Hospitals performing 200 or more CABG procedures have achieved proficiency – this signifies high-quality care. Hospitals performing less than 10 procedures may only do so on an emergency basis and their ratings are not included in this report.

Mortality Ratings - A high mortality rate may not be due to medical errors. Some hospitals may experience a greater number of deaths because they see more sick patients. Our mortality rate information is shown as a comparison between a hospital’s actual mortality rate and the rate expected for that hospital. A rate that is the “Same” or “Better” than expected signifies high-quality care.

About Our Report - Our Care Results reports are based on quality measures developed by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), and made available on HealthScores by the Minnesota Hospital Association. This report is based on information from hospital patient medical records for services provided between October 2011 and September 2012. Your hospital’s rating will vary depending on how many patients achieved a good medical outcome. Talk with your care team if you have questions or concerns.