3 of 3 stars with STS National Database
3-Star ratings for Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
ECU has earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The three-star rating, which denotes the highest quality category, places ECU among the elite for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada.
Approximately 20% of participants received a 3-star rating for isolated CABG surgery, and of note, only 8% of academic centers achieved 3-star ratings for CABG. The latest data analysis for CABG surgery covers three years, from January 2021 to December 2023, and includes [964] participants.
East Carolina University (ECU) has maintained consecutive 3-star ratings for Isolated CABG surgery from January 2017 to December 2023.
3-Star ratings for Isolated Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR) + Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
East Carolina University (ECU) has earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in aortic valve replacement (AVR) combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places ECU among the elite for AVR+CABG surgery in the United States and Canada.
Historically, approximately 4%–7% of participants receive a three-star rating for AVR+CABG surgery. The latest data analysis covers a three-year period, from January 2021 to December 2023, and includes 964 participants.
East Carolina University (ECU) has maintained a consecutive 3-star Rating for Isolated AVR+CABG surgery from January 2020 to December 2023.
3 Stars in TAVR
Congratulations to Dr. Wiley Nifong and Dr. Brian Cabarrus for the recent news on the excellent results for the TAVR program from the STS/TVT registry. This database reflects the excellent outcomes for our patients at ECHI. There were 22 programs out of 411 in the country that received the 3-star rating, placing us in the top 5% of TAVR programs in the country. Dr. Nifong is co-director of the structural heart program at ECHI, and we are expanding the types of procedures offered. This great work provides us with a strong foundation for continued growth and is objective evidence of the fantastic state-of-the-art care patients receive daily at ECUHealth.
3-Star Rating with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons
We proudly announce that our program has received 3-star ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in two categories. The 3-star rating is the highest accolade STS offers in each surgical category. The STS star rating system is widely recognized as one of the most sophisticated and respected quality measures in healthcare, assessing the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs across the United States and Canada. This prestigious rating is determined through a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by participants in the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. The 3-star rating is the highest rating that a participant can achieve.
The STS National Database, established in 1989, serves as a cornerstone for quality improvement and patient safety in cardiothoracic surgery. The database encompasses four key components: the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD), the Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD), the General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD), and the Mechanical Circulatory Support Database (Intermacs). The STS ACSD alone houses approximately 6.9 million surgical records and collects data from over 3,800 participating physicians, including surgeons and anesthesiologists from more than 90% of hospitals performing heart surgery in the United States.
For more information, you can visit the Society of Thoracic Surgeons webpage.