Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Volume > Procedure > Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Definition

The coronary arteries carry oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the heart muscle. They can become narrowed or blocked due to build-up of fat and cholesterol, called plaque deposits. Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure done to reroute or create an alternate path for the blood to flow around the blocked areas in the arteries to the heart. During the CABG, a blood vessel is taken from another area of the body (typically the chest, legs or arms) and placed in the area where the blockage is located. This vessel, called a graft, bypasses the blockage, restoring adequate blood flow to the heart. A CABG may be used to prevent heart attack, or to treat chest pain or other heart problems resulting from the blockage(s).

See also: Information on quality & cost of CABG by Hospital

Surgeon Volume and Mortality

• By surgeon, FY05 (Excel) | PDF
• By hospital (including procedure cost), FY05 (Excel) | PDF 
• Surgeon 30-Day Mortality by Surgeon, CY02-CY04* (Excel) | PDF
• Surgeon 30-Day Mortality by Hospital, CY02-CY04* (Excel) | PDF
• Surgeon 30-Day Mortality by Surgeon Technical Report, CY02-CY04* (Excel) | PDF

*calendar

Surgeons who performed fewer than ten procedures at acute care Massachusetts hospitals in 2004 (according to administrative data) are not listed by name in the reports. Their volume is included in the total number of procedures performed at each hospital.

The volume by individual surgeon listed on this website will, in some cases, understate a surgeon’s actual volume for that procedure. Surgeons sometimes perform surgery in neighboring states or in VA hospitals and the data shown on this website do not include these hospitals.

In addition, patients sometimes need several surgical procedures during a hospitalization. The volume data showed on this website only report on the first procedure listed on the patient record; therefore if a surgeon performed a procedure that was listed second, third or later on the medical record, the surgeon would not have been credited with performing it. The surgical volumes listed by hospital are complete.

Additional Information

For coronary artery bypass graft, substantial published evidence suggests that hospitals that have a higher volume of these procedures have better patient outcomes. Research results show that hospitals performing 100 procedures or more is associated with good patient outcomes; hospitals performing 200 procedures or more is associated with even better patient outcomes. Hospitals exceeding these thresholds are considered high volume.

Research Studies

Surgeon Volume Indicators (ICD-9 Codes)