UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. Earns Highest 3-Star Rating for Cardiac Surgery Outcomes

The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. has been awarded the highest possible rating of three stars by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in three categories for patient care and outcomes, including:

• Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

• Isolated Mitral Valve Replacement/Repair (MVRR)

• Multi-procedural composite measures - a combination of all cardiac procedures, including valves and coronary bypass surgeries.

The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. among the elite for adult cardiac surgery in the United States and Canada. UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa has maintained a 3-star STS rating in various categories for the last decade.

"We're proud to earn this recognition, which reflects the quality and consistency of care our team provides," said Erik Toth, vice president of cardiovascular services for UPMC in Central Pa. "The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' three-star rating is among the most respected measures in cardiac surgery and our focus remains on patient outcomes."

Historically, only 13.7% of participants receive the three-star rating for MVRR and 21.6% of participants receive the three-star rating for isolated CABG surgery. A 3-star rating for Multi-procedural composite measures is only obtained by 28% of all participants. The latest analysis of data covers the calendar years 2023 through 2025.

Founded in 1989, the STS National Database is the world's premier clinical registry for cardiac surgery and contains data from more than 1,000 cardiac surgery institutions that represent approximately six million records. Participation in the STS registry represents UPMC's commitment to improving the care provided to heart surgery patients. 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.

Pioneers in cardiovascular health since 1956, doctors at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in central Pennsylvania were the first in the region to perform open heart surgery. UPMC's surgeons are experts at providing exceptional care through both vascular, interventional and endovascular techniques.