Doctors release heart op data

Doctors have released details of death rates following all types of open heart surgery.

The data been collected by the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (SCTS).

It is the responsibility of our specialty, and ultimately the NHS, to provide appropriate information

Dr James Munro

It was published on Monday on the same day that an independent medical consultancy Dr Foster published data on individual hospital death rates for a specific operation - the coronary artery bypass graft.

SCTS said its data, for all NHS units undertaking open heart surgery between 1998 and 2000, was designed to complement that published by Dr Foster. It shows a clear correlation.

Like the Dr Foster data, the SCTS data reveals wide variations in death rates across the country.

Survive

Patients were most likely to survive at Bristol Royal Infirmary, with the lowest mortality rate of just 1.7%.

The worst performing unit was London's Middlesex Hospital with a death rate of 6.3%, closely followed by Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry with 5.9%.

The data also shows the standard of cardiac surgery for adults is steadily improving in the UK despite the fact that surgeons are now operating more frequently on patients who are sicker and older.

The report found:

• the number of coronary artery bypass operations has risen from 2,297 operations in 1977 to 24,733 in 1999
• the number of heart valve operations has increased from 5,416 to 8,034 over the same period
• the proportion of patients over the age of 70 doubled in the last six years from 11.6% to 23.3%
• the overall operative mortality of 2-3% for coronary surgery has remained static over the last decade

Dr James Monro, SCTS president, said: "Patients have a right to good surgery.

"They also have a right to good information so they can make informed decisions regarding their surgery.

"We are committed to sharing information on results with our patients and the public.

"It is the responsibility of our specialty, and ultimately the NHS, to provide appropriate information so that all parties can understand the basis upon which a surgical decision is made."

However, Dr Munro said he had concerns about the publication of league tables, which caused concern among patients by inviting unfair comparisions.