Dr. Ben Adkins - SEMO Times

Study Shows Zero Percent
Mortality for PBRMC Heart Surgery
The Society of Thoracic
Surgeons recently released
data relating to operative
mortality rates of cardiovascular
programs in more than
780 hospitals nationwide,
including Poplar Bluff
Regional Medical Center
(PBRMC). This study’s
database, which was created
in 1990, is the largest and
most comprehensive study
of heart surgery patients in
the world.
The results of this study
show that patients who
have had Coronary Bypass
Surgery at PBRMC have
better outcomes compared
to national averages, including
a zero percent operative
mortality rate compared to
almost two percent nationally.
All other complications
after surgery at PBRMC,
including postoperative
infections, neurologic
complications, renal failure
and atrial fibrillation, were
also found to be lower than
national averages.
The latest data release
includes results from the
time period of June 2007
through April of 2009. The
study measures the quality
of a heart surgery program
through review of operative
mortality, which means
death up to 30 days after
surgery, and adjusted morbidity,
which means complications
after surgery. Risk
adjustments are also taken
into account by considering
a patient’s risk factors and
health problems. This type
of measurement allows for
a valid comparison between
hospitals regardless of differences
in the severity of
heart disease treated among
participating hospitals.
The results show that
before surgery, patients
who had Coronary Bypass
Surgery at PBRMC were
HealtHY liFeStYleS
sicker and at a higher risk
for death and complications
in comparison to national
averages. Several factors
were identified in contributing
to these higher risks,
including high percentages
of current smokers, diabetes,
morbid obesity and
cadiogenic shock.
Dr. Stanley Ziomek,
Cardiothoracic Surgeon at
PBRMC, links three reasons
to why PBRMC’s heart
program yields these excellent
outcomes. First, the
door-to-balloon time, which
refers to the interval from
patient’s arrival to inflation
of the balloon catheter
within the patient’s blocked
artery, is far less than the
national goal of 90 minutes.
“Second, the intensive
care and progressive care
nursing units are very good
at PBRMC. The nurses on
these units are specially
trained and experienced
in caring for patients
after heart surgery,” says
Ziomek.
Third, the results of the
study show that beating
heart surgery was performed
67 percent of the
time at PBRMC compared
to only 21 percent
nationally. Beating heart
surgery is one of the newest
advancements in heart
surgery and offers patients
better outcomes and quicker
recoveries compared to
traditional coronary bypass
surgery.
“Our goal is to continue
bringing clinical excellence
home to our communities.
Based on these independent
results, we can without a
doubt say that heart surgery
at PBRMC is just as good,
and in many cases better,
compared to anywhere in
the nation,” said Ziomek.
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