Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
The arteries that bring blood to the heart can become blocked (atherosclerosis). Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG, bypass surgery) redirects the blood flow to the heart muscle around these blockages.
Volume of CABG Surgeries
What are we measuring?
The number of CABG procedures performed annually.
Why is this important?
Studies have found that surgical teams with experience - that is, routinely performing a sufficient number of cases - get better results.
What does our performance tell us?
The chart below shows how many coronary artery bypass surgeries were performed annually at BIDMC during CY 2010. The Leapfrog Group, a nationally recognized patient safety organization recommends that hospitals such as BIDMC perform at least 450 or more CABG procedures annually.
Source of comparison: Leapfrog Hospital Survey on Quality and Safety 2010. For more information go to
www.leapfroggroup.org.
BIDMC's total volume of CABG procedures meets the National Leapfrog recommended guideline.
Length of Hospital Stay
What are we measuring?
The average number of days a patient undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) stays in the hospital.
Why is this important?
The number of days that patients must stay in the hospital is a way of looking at both the efficiency of care as well as its effectiveness. A shorter average length of stay may indicate that patients are recovering more quickly and experiencing fewer complications.
What does our performance tell us?
The chart below compares average length of stay for isolated CABG surgery at BIDMC during CY 2009 compared to a nationally recognized benchmark.
Source of comparison: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database; January - December, 2010 data and reports
According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the average length of stay for patients undergoing CABG surgery in CY 2010 was 6.8 days. At BIDMC, the average length of stay for CABG patients was 5.9 days for the same time period. Therefore, BIDMC's rates for length of stay compare very favorably to the national average for CABG surgery.
Administering Aspirin at Discharge
What are we measuring?
The percentage of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients given aspirin at discharge.
Why is this important?
Use of aspirin is an inexpensive, safe, and effective way to help reduce the risk of graft failure for CABG patients.
What is our performance telling us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database; January - December, 2010 data and reports
According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 95.9% of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients at the nation's hospitals are administered aspirin at the time of discharge as a means of reducing the risk of graft failure. At BIDMC, 98.8% of CABG patients are also administered aspirin at discharge. Therefore, BIDMC's performance is better than the STS reported average for prescribing aspirin to CABG patients when they are discharged from the hospital.
Administering Beta Blockers at Discharge
What are we measuring?
The percent of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients given beta blockers at discharge.
Why is this important?
Hospitals can help reduce the risk of another heart attack by giving discharged patients beta blockers, which are a type of medicine used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and help prevent a future heart attack.
What does our performance tell us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure that the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database; January - December, 2010 data and reports
According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 93.1% of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients at the nation's hospitals are administered beta blockers at the time of discharge as a means of future heart attack prevention. At BIDMC, 97.9% of CABG patients are also administered beta blockers at discharge. Therefore, BIDMC's performance is better than the STS reported average for prescribing beta blockers to CABG patients when they are discharged from the hospital.
Administering Lipid Lowering Medications at Discharge
What are we measuring?
The percent of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients given lipid lowering medications at discharge.
Why is this important?
Hospitals can help improve patient's post operative survival by giving discharged patients lipid lowering medications, which are a type of medicine used to lower cholesterol.
What does our performance tell us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure that the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database; January - December, 2010 data and reports
According to the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, 93.3% of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients at the nation's hospitals are administered lipid lowering medications at the time of discharge as a means of improving patient survival. At BIDMC, 98.8% of CABG patients are also administered lipid lowering medications at discharge. Therefore, BIDMC's performance is better than the STS reported average.
Internal Mammary Artery Graft Use
What are we measuring?
Percent of CABG surgeries performed using the internal mammary artery when appropriate.
Why is this important?
Studies have shown that the use of the internal mammary artery (IMA) for CABG procedures has been considered the "gold standard." Use of the IMA improves the likelihood of bypass graft success.
What does our performance tell us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database; January - December, 2010 data and reports
According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 95.0% of CABG surgeries at the nation's hospitals utilize the internal mammary artery graft when appropriate. At BIDMC, 98.8% of CABG surgeries utilize the internal mammary artery graft when appropriate. Therefore, BIDMC's performance is better than the STS reported average for the same time period.
Last Updated: May 25, 2011