Specialties & ConditionsHeart Center Volumes & Outcomes
Heart Center Volumes & Outcomes
Our Heart Center’s Division of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery is distinguished by its high patient volume and outstanding outcomes. All major pediatric cardiac surgery centers in the United States publicly publish their surgical outcomes in a database created by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), a professional organization dedicated to improving the lives of patients with cardiothoracic diseases through research.
Every year for the past five years, we have expanded our surgical volume and complexity, all while maintaining the highest standards of patient care. This commitment is exemplified by a steady decrease in our surgical mortality; our congenital heart surgery mortality rate in 2024, 1.67%, was considerably lower than the STS overall risk-adjusted operative mortality from July 2020 – June 2024 of 2.65%. As a result, you can trust our Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery team to provide the best possible care to you or your child throughout the entire patient journey.
Cardiac Surgery
Our Heart Center boasts an exceptionally high cardiac surgery case volume, performing almost 500 procedures per year on average, and consistently ranks among the top programs in the country. We have been reporting cardiac surgery volumes and outcomes to STS since 2004, a reflection of our transparency and significant involvement in the field. Please see the figures below for an overview of our cardiac surgery program’s capability and experience.
FIGURE ONE: We performed an average of 469 cardiac surgeries (including cardiopulmonary bypass and non-cardiopulmonary bypass cases) each year from 2020-2024, illustrating our center’s extensive experience.
FIGURE TWO: Our cardiac surgery case volume from 2020-2024 is higher than the STS average case volume across centers for every STAT Category, demonstrating our extensive experience and high surgical case load. Learn more about the meaning behind STAT scores and categories.
FIGURE THREE: Our postoperative length of stay from 2020-2024 is lower than the STS median postoperative length of stay across centers for all types of surgery, including the lowest risk (STAT 1) and highest risk (STAT 5). Our short postoperative length of stay demonstrates not only our exemplary surgical outcomes, but also the expert, efficient, and multidisciplinary care our patients receive in the cardiac care unit. Learn more about the meaning behind STAT scores and categories.
FIGURE FOUR: Our case volume from 2020-2024 is higher than the STS average case volume across centers for most common surgical procedure types, demonstrating our center’s extensive experience and high surgical case load.
FIGURE FIVE: Our postoperative length of stay from 2020-2024 is consistently lower than the STS median postoperative length of stay across centers for each common surgery type. Our short postoperative length of stay demonstrates not only our exemplary surgical outcomes, but also the expert, efficient, and multidisciplinary care our patients receive in the cardiac care unit.
Heart Transplant
Since 1988, we have performed more pediatric heart transplants than any other hospital in Illinois. Furthermore, in 2024, our center performed the highest number of pediatric heart transplants of any center in the United States. Our first-year survival rate for heart transplantation, more than 98%, well exceeds the national average of 93%. Our center has experience with neonatal transplantation, ABO-incompatible transplantation, transplantation of highly sensitized individuals, and multiorgan transplantation.
FIGURE ONE: On average, we performed 27 pediatric heart transplants each year from 2018-2024, more than any other hospital in Illinois, demonstrating our center’s transplantation expertise and optimal outcomes.
FIGURE TWO: We are highly experienced at performing heart transplants for patients within every age range, including adult congenital heart disease patients over the age of 18.