Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health, has earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in for both isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery and isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places Lankenau Heart Medical Center among the elite for achieving both three-star in AVR surgery and CABG surgery in the United States.
The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the United States and Canada. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons with this distinguished and exclusive rating. The team at Lankenau is dedicated to achieving optimal outcomes for our cardiac patients and their families. I am incredibly grateful to our heart team and hospital leadership for their commitment and investment in advancing innovative, cutting-edge cardiac therapies that’s reflected in this prestigious recognition,” says Francis Sutter, DO, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Lankenau Medical Center.
Historically, approximately 4%–8% of participants receive the three-star rating for isolated AVR surgery. And approximately 20% of participants receive the three-star rating for isolated CABG surgery. By receiving the three-star rating in both isolated AVR surgery and isolated CABG surgery places Lankenau among an elite few institutions in the country.
The latest analysis of data for AVR and CABG surgery respectively covers a 3-year period, from July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2021, and includes 786 Isolated AVR and 843 Isolated CABG participants.
“I am incredibly proud of this recognition, being in the top 5 percent of cardiac surgical programs, and the dedicated efforts of each member of the Lankenau heart team. This team continues to transform the field of cardiovascular medicine as national leaders in less invasive, state-of the-art heart valve therapy while writing the book on robotic and hybrid approaches for coronary bypass surgery. This accomplishment is a true testament to our cardiac teams who are committed to the highest standards of quality and patient safety,” says Basel Ramlawi, MD, System Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Main Line Health and Co-director, Lankenau Heart Institute.
“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Quality Measurement. “Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in health care delivery and helps provide patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care.”
The STS National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. The Database includes four components: the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD), the Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD), the General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD), and the mechanical circulatory support database (Intermacs). 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% of groups that perform heart surgery in the US. STS Public Reporting Online enables STS ACSD participants to voluntarily report to each other and the public their heart surgery scores and star ratings.
About STS
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 7,300 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.
