The Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is dedicated to treating all patients, from fetus to adult. We help patients with congenital heart defects - from the most straightforward cases to the extremely complex. We provide this information publicly by reporting our volumes and outcomes data each year. In doing so, we hope to give patients and families the information they need to choose the right health care partner for their child’s journey.
Volume data is the number of procedures a hospital has performed and can be a good indication of experience. Outcomes data uses several factors to evaluate the success of a hospital’s clinical practices.
We hope this information provides you with full transparency on our cardiac program. Surgical Outcomes Congenital heart surgeons perform more than 200 different procedures on fewer than 1 million patients each year in the United States. This makes comparing survival outcomes difficult. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s participates in public reporting through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The STS groups different types of pediatric cardiothoracic surgeries and procedures based on complexity, called STAT categories, with 1 the lowest complexity and 5 the highest complexity. STAT Level 1 procedures are the least complex. STAT Level 5 procedures are the most complex. Our expert surgeons are known for their treatment of complex, high-risk patients. By comparing data from previous years, we can track annual improvement in program quality and patient outcomes. The average surgical mortality among pediatric heart programs is around 2.8%, with most centers between 2.5% and 4%. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s has been committed to improving outcomes and, through various targeted initiatives, has successfully lowered surgical mortality, with rates better than the national average for the last four years. Cardiothoracic Surgical Survival Rates by STAT Category of Complexity (STAT Category 1-5: Level 1, least complex; Level 5, most complex)
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Surgeries Deaths
Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
Surgeries
Deaths
Mortality Rate
Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
STAT Level 1 77 0 0.00% 70 0 0.00% 65 0 0.00% 62 0 0.00% 77 0 0.00%
STAT Level 2 98 0 0.00% 94 1 1.06% 117 0 0.00% 113 1 0.88% 108 1 0.93%
STAT Level 3 37 0 0.00% 33 0 0.00% 30 0 0.00% 19 0 0.00% 42 0 0.00%
STAT Level 4 70 3 4.29% 58 4 6.90% 65 3 4.62% 82 4 4.88% 64 5 7.81%
STAT Level 5 13 3 23.08% 17 0 0.00% 21 3 14.29% 16 0 0.00% 33 6 18.18%
Total 295 6 2.03% 272 5 1.84% 298 6 2.01% 292 5 1.71% 324 12 3.70%
Volume Data
By the Numbers
Several metrics are used to monitor the growth and quality of surgical programs:
Case mix describes the types of cases seen in the program. Volume describes how many patients are seen in different populations.
By sharing these data for Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, we offer families an objective measure of our experience with certain types of cases and ages of patients.
Highlighted Case Mix of Interventional Cardiology Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
ASD Closure 26 20 25 38 24
PDA Closure 45 47 55 31 43
Transcatheter heart valve 19 21 30 28 23
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty 6 19 12 17 19
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty 3 5 7 9 6
Pulmonary artery angioplasty 100 108 100 85 114
Pulmonary artery stent 41 46 78 50 82
Aortic angioplasty 30 40 14 32 54
Aortic stent 19 15 14 15 34
Cardiothoracic Surgical Volume
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 63 46 58 39 44
Child 184 158 158 163 187
Infant 127 133 130 145 163
Neonate 67 73 72 55 76
Total 441 410 418 402 470
Highlighted Case Mix of Cardiothoracic Surgical Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
VSD repair 33 20 24 23 27
TOF repair (included TOF/AVC repair) 7 13 20 21 15
AVSD repair 14 10 11 6 14
Arterial Switch 7 8 7 3 8
Arterial Switch + VSD repair 4 1 5 3 3
Glenn 8 5 8 13 8
Fontan 20 17 21 17 18
Truncus 3 4 2 1 2
Norwood 1 3 1 1 9
Coarctation repair (no CPB)
9 12 9 8 7
Hybrid Stage 1
9 8 13 9 14
Hybrid Stage 2
4 7 6 6 13
Diagnostic Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 65 57 85 60 44
Child 122 59 94 108 128
Infant 20 38 21 22 31
Newborn 6 6 8 6 5
Interventional Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 46 42 61 57 44
Child 174 141 170 163 171
Infant 73 89 76 67 85
Newborn 32 29 30 38 42
Specialty Services
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s is a high-volume, comprehensive center focused on delivering best outcomes to children living with congenital heart conditions. From our fetal interventions to our adult congenital heart disease clinics, we are here to provide a lifetime of care. The table below shows our volumes for specialty services other than surgery and interventional cardiology.
Specialty Services 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Electrophysiology Procedures 172 138 155 161 174
Hospital Patient Days 9,446 7,312 9,327 9,533 9,511
Noninvasive Diagnostics 39,858 32,892 36,823 35,224 34,412
— Echocardiogram
16,654 14,049 15,155 14,411 13,535
— Other Noninvasive Tests
23,204 18,843 21,668 20,813 20,877
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Outpatient Visits 2,571 2,021 2,403 2,108 1,824
Pediatric Cardiology Outpatient Visits 19,732 16,568 18,125 16,591 15,541
Safety
Reducing Preventable Harm
We are committed to the safety and care of every patient. Our goal is zero preventable harm. The idea of zero harm is achieved through many quality improvement measures and has led to us being a national leader with our “Zero Hero” program. As a hospital, we study measures around the prevention of medication errors, infections and hand hygiene. With more than 35 ongoing projects to improve outcomes in heart care, we are always trying to better ourselves to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families. The Preventable Harm Index below shows how we’ve decreased preventable harm from 2015 to 2021.
Reducing Radiation Exposure for Catheterization and Electrophysiology Procedures
Concerns related to patient radiation exposure have led The Heart Center to create quality initiatives to reduce median radiation dosage during catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. As a result of the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, the year to date (YTD) median dose continues to decline.
You play an important role in your child’s health care. If you have questions about our outcomes at Nationwide Children’s, feel free to ask your child’s care team or contact us directly.
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is dedicated to treating all patients, from fetus to adult. We help patients with congenital heart defects - from the most straightforward cases to the extremely complex.
We provide this information publicly by reporting our volumes and outcomes data each year. In doing so, we hope to give patients and families the information they need to choose the right health care partner for their child’s journey.
- Volume data is the number of procedures a hospital has performed and can be a good indication of experience.
- Outcomes data uses several factors to evaluate the success of a hospital’s clinical practices.
We hope this information provides you with full transparency on our cardiac program.
Surgical Outcomes
Congenital heart surgeons perform more than 200 different procedures on fewer than 1 million patients each year in the United States. This makes comparing survival outcomes difficult.
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s participates in public reporting through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The STS groups different types of pediatric cardiothoracic surgeries and procedures based on complexity, called STAT categories, with 1 the lowest complexity and 5 the highest complexity.
STAT Level 1 procedures are the least complex. STAT Level 5 procedures are the most complex.
Our expert surgeons are known for their treatment of complex, high-risk patients. By comparing data from previous years, we can track annual improvement in program quality and patient outcomes.
The average surgical mortality among pediatric heart programs is around 2.8%, with most centers between 2.5% and 4%. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s has been committed to improving outcomes and, through various targeted initiatives, has successfully lowered surgical mortality, with rates better than the national average for the last four years.
Cardiothoracic Surgical Survival Rates by STAT Category of Complexity
(STAT Category 1-5: Level 1, least complex; Level 5, most complex)
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Surgeries Deaths
Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
Surgeries
Deaths
Mortality Rate
Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
STAT Level 1 77 0 0.00% 70 0 0.00% 65 0 0.00% 62 0 0.00% 77 0 0.00%
STAT Level 2 98 0 0.00% 94 1 1.06% 117 0 0.00% 113 1 0.88% 108 1 0.93%
STAT Level 3 37 0 0.00% 33 0 0.00% 30 0 0.00% 19 0 0.00% 42 0 0.00%
STAT Level 4 70 3 4.29% 58 4 6.90% 65 3 4.62% 82 4 4.88% 64 5 7.81%
STAT Level 5 13 3 23.08% 17 0 0.00% 21 3 14.29% 16 0 0.00% 33 6 18.18%
Total 295 6 2.03% 272 5 1.84% 298 6 2.01% 292 5 1.71% 324 12 3.70%
Volume Data
By the Numbers
Several metrics are used to monitor the growth and quality of surgical programs:
Case mix describes the types of cases seen in the program. Volume describes how many patients are seen in different populations.
By sharing these data for Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, we offer families an objective measure of our experience with certain types of cases and ages of patients.
Highlighted Case Mix of Interventional Cardiology Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
ASD Closure 26 20 25 38 24
PDA Closure 45 47 55 31 43
Transcatheter heart valve 19 21 30 28 23
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty 6 19 12 17 19
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty 3 5 7 9 6
Pulmonary artery angioplasty 100 108 100 85 114
Pulmonary artery stent 41 46 78 50 82
Aortic angioplasty 30 40 14 32 54
Aortic stent 19 15 14 15 34
Cardiothoracic Surgical Volume
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 63 46 58 39 44
Child 184 158 158 163 187
Infant 127 133 130 145 163
Neonate 67 73 72 55 76
Total 441 410 418 402 470
Highlighted Case Mix of Cardiothoracic Surgical Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
VSD repair 33 20 24 23 27
TOF repair (included TOF/AVC repair) 7 13 20 21 15
AVSD repair 14 10 11 6 14
Arterial Switch 7 8 7 3 8
Arterial Switch + VSD repair 4 1 5 3 3
Glenn 8 5 8 13 8
Fontan 20 17 21 17 18
Truncus 3 4 2 1 2
Norwood 1 3 1 1 9
Coarctation repair (no CPB)
9 12 9 8 7
Hybrid Stage 1
9 8 13 9 14
Hybrid Stage 2
4 7 6 6 13
Diagnostic Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 65 57 85 60 44
Child 122 59 94 108 128
Infant 20 38 21 22 31
Newborn 6 6 8 6 5
Interventional Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 46 42 61 57 44
Child 174 141 170 163 171
Infant 73 89 76 67 85
Newborn 32 29 30 38 42
Specialty Services
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s is a high-volume, comprehensive center focused on delivering best outcomes to children living with congenital heart conditions. From our fetal interventions to our adult congenital heart disease clinics, we are here to provide a lifetime of care. The table below shows our volumes for specialty services other than surgery and interventional cardiology.
Specialty Services 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Electrophysiology Procedures 172 138 155 161 174
Hospital Patient Days 9,446 7,312 9,327 9,533 9,511
Noninvasive Diagnostics 39,858 32,892 36,823 35,224 34,412
— Echocardiogram
16,654 14,049 15,155 14,411 13,535
— Other Noninvasive Tests
23,204 18,843 21,668 20,813 20,877
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Outpatient Visits 2,571 2,021 2,403 2,108 1,824
Pediatric Cardiology Outpatient Visits 19,732 16,568 18,125 16,591 15,541
Safety
Reducing Preventable Harm
We are committed to the safety and care of every patient. Our goal is zero preventable harm. The idea of zero harm is achieved through many quality improvement measures and has led to us being a national leader with our “Zero Hero” program. As a hospital, we study measures around the prevention of medication errors, infections and hand hygiene. With more than 35 ongoing projects to improve outcomes in heart care, we are always trying to better ourselves to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families. The Preventable Harm Index below shows how we’ve decreased preventable harm from 2015 to 2021.
Reducing Radiation Exposure for Catheterization and Electrophysiology Procedures
Concerns related to patient radiation exposure have led The Heart Center to create quality initiatives to reduce median radiation dosage during catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. As a result of the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, the year to date (YTD) median dose continues to decline.
You play an important role in your child’s health care. If you have questions about our outcomes at Nationwide Children’s, feel free to ask your child’s care team or contact us directly.
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Surgeries Deaths
Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
Surgeries
Deaths
Mortality Rate
Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
STAT Level 1 77 0 0.00% 70 0 0.00% 65 0 0.00% 62 0 0.00% 77 0 0.00%
STAT Level 2 98 0 0.00% 94 1 1.06% 117 0 0.00% 113 1 0.88% 108 1 0.93%
STAT Level 3 37 0 0.00% 33 0 0.00% 30 0 0.00% 19 0 0.00% 42 0 0.00%
STAT Level 4 70 3 4.29% 58 4 6.90% 65 3 4.62% 82 4 4.88% 64 5 7.81%
STAT Level 5 13 3 23.08% 17 0 0.00% 21 3 14.29% 16 0 0.00% 33 6 18.18%
Total 295 6 2.03% 272 5 1.84% 298 6 2.01% 292 5 1.71% 324 12 3.70%
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Surgeries Deaths
Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
Surgeries
Deaths
Mortality Rate
Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate Surgeries Deaths Mortality Rate
STAT Level 1 77 0 0.00% 70 0 0.00% 65 0 0.00% 62 0 0.00% 77 0 0.00%
STAT Level 2 98 0 0.00% 94 1 1.06% 117 0 0.00% 113 1 0.88% 108 1 0.93%
STAT Level 3 37 0 0.00% 33 0 0.00% 30 0 0.00% 19 0 0.00% 42 0 0.00%
STAT Level 4 70 3 4.29% 58 4 6.90% 65 3 4.62% 82 4 4.88% 64 5 7.81%
STAT Level 5 13 3 23.08% 17 0 0.00% 21 3 14.29% 16 0 0.00% 33 6 18.18%
Total 295 6 2.03% 272 5 1.84% 298 6 2.01% 292 5 1.71% 324 12 3.70%
Volume Data
By the Numbers
Several metrics are used to monitor the growth and quality of surgical programs:
Case mix describes the types of cases seen in the program. Volume describes how many patients are seen in different populations.
By sharing these data for Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, we offer families an objective measure of our experience with certain types of cases and ages of patients.
Highlighted Case Mix of Interventional Cardiology Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
ASD Closure 26 20 25 38 24
PDA Closure 45 47 55 31 43
Transcatheter heart valve 19 21 30 28 23
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty 6 19 12 17 19
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty 3 5 7 9 6
Pulmonary artery angioplasty 100 108 100 85 114
Pulmonary artery stent 41 46 78 50 82
Aortic angioplasty 30 40 14 32 54
Aortic stent 19 15 14 15 34
Cardiothoracic Surgical Volume
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 63 46 58 39 44
Child 184 158 158 163 187
Infant 127 133 130 145 163
Neonate 67 73 72 55 76
Total 441 410 418 402 470
Highlighted Case Mix of Cardiothoracic Surgical Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
VSD repair 33 20 24 23 27
TOF repair (included TOF/AVC repair) 7 13 20 21 15
AVSD repair 14 10 11 6 14
Arterial Switch 7 8 7 3 8
Arterial Switch + VSD repair 4 1 5 3 3
Glenn 8 5 8 13 8
Fontan 20 17 21 17 18
Truncus 3 4 2 1 2
Norwood 1 3 1 1 9
Coarctation repair (no CPB)
9 12 9 8 7
Hybrid Stage 1
9 8 13 9 14
Hybrid Stage 2
4 7 6 6 13
Diagnostic Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 65 57 85 60 44
Child 122 59 94 108 128
Infant 20 38 21 22 31
Newborn 6 6 8 6 5
Interventional Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 46 42 61 57 44
Child 174 141 170 163 171
Infant 73 89 76 67 85
Newborn 32 29 30 38 42
Specialty Services
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s is a high-volume, comprehensive center focused on delivering best outcomes to children living with congenital heart conditions. From our fetal interventions to our adult congenital heart disease clinics, we are here to provide a lifetime of care. The table below shows our volumes for specialty services other than surgery and interventional cardiology.
Specialty Services 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Electrophysiology Procedures 172 138 155 161 174
Hospital Patient Days 9,446 7,312 9,327 9,533 9,511
Noninvasive Diagnostics 39,858 32,892 36,823 35,224 34,412
— Echocardiogram
16,654 14,049 15,155 14,411 13,535
— Other Noninvasive Tests
23,204 18,843 21,668 20,813 20,877
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Outpatient Visits 2,571 2,021 2,403 2,108 1,824
Pediatric Cardiology Outpatient Visits 19,732 16,568 18,125 16,591 15,541
Several metrics are used to monitor the growth and quality of surgical programs:
Case mix describes the types of cases seen in the program. Volume describes how many patients are seen in different populations.
By sharing these data for Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, we offer families an objective measure of our experience with certain types of cases and ages of patients.
Highlighted Case Mix of Interventional Cardiology Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
ASD Closure 26 20 25 38 24
PDA Closure 45 47 55 31 43
Transcatheter heart valve 19 21 30 28 23
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty 6 19 12 17 19
Balloon aortic valvuloplasty 3 5 7 9 6
Pulmonary artery angioplasty 100 108 100 85 114
Pulmonary artery stent 41 46 78 50 82
Aortic angioplasty 30 40 14 32 54
Aortic stent 19 15 14 15 34
Cardiothoracic Surgical Volume
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 63 46 58 39 44
Child 184 158 158 163 187
Infant 127 133 130 145 163
Neonate 67 73 72 55 76
Total 441 410 418 402 470
Highlighted Case Mix of Cardiothoracic Surgical Procedures
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
VSD repair 33 20 24 23 27
TOF repair (included TOF/AVC repair) 7 13 20 21 15
AVSD repair 14 10 11 6 14
Arterial Switch 7 8 7 3 8
Arterial Switch + VSD repair 4 1 5 3 3
Glenn 8 5 8 13 8
Fontan 20 17 21 17 18
Truncus 3 4 2 1 2
Norwood 1 3 1 1 9
Coarctation repair (no CPB)
9 12 9 8 7
Hybrid Stage 1
9 8 13 9 14
Hybrid Stage 2
4 7 6 6 13
Diagnostic Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 65 57 85 60 44
Child 122 59 94 108 128
Infant 20 38 21 22 31
Newborn 6 6 8 6 5
Interventional Catheterizations
2021 2020
2019 2018 2017
Adult 46 42 61 57 44
Child 174 141 170 163 171
Infant 73 89 76 67 85
Newborn 32 29 30 38 42
Several metrics are used to monitor the growth and quality of surgical programs:
- Case mix describes the types of cases seen in the program.
- Volume describes how many patients are seen in different populations.
By sharing these data for Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, we offer families an objective measure of our experience with certain types of cases and ages of patients.
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s is a high-volume, comprehensive center focused on delivering best outcomes to children living with congenital heart conditions. From our fetal interventions to our adult congenital heart disease clinics, we are here to provide a lifetime of care. The table below shows our volumes for specialty services other than surgery and interventional cardiology.
Specialty Services 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Electrophysiology Procedures 172 138 155 161 174
Hospital Patient Days 9,446 7,312 9,327 9,533 9,511
Noninvasive Diagnostics 39,858 32,892 36,823 35,224 34,412
— Echocardiogram
16,654 14,049 15,155 14,411 13,535
— Other Noninvasive Tests
23,204 18,843 21,668 20,813 20,877
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Outpatient Visits 2,571 2,021 2,403 2,108 1,824
Pediatric Cardiology Outpatient Visits 19,732 16,568 18,125 16,591 15,541
The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s is a high-volume, comprehensive center focused on delivering best outcomes to children living with congenital heart conditions. From our fetal interventions to our adult congenital heart disease clinics, we are here to provide a lifetime of care. The table below shows our volumes for specialty services other than surgery and interventional cardiology.
Safety
Reducing Preventable Harm
We are committed to the safety and care of every patient. Our goal is zero preventable harm. The idea of zero harm is achieved through many quality improvement measures and has led to us being a national leader with our “Zero Hero” program. As a hospital, we study measures around the prevention of medication errors, infections and hand hygiene. With more than 35 ongoing projects to improve outcomes in heart care, we are always trying to better ourselves to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families. The Preventable Harm Index below shows how we’ve decreased preventable harm from 2015 to 2021.
Reducing Radiation Exposure for Catheterization and Electrophysiology Procedures
Concerns related to patient radiation exposure have led The Heart Center to create quality initiatives to reduce median radiation dosage during catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. As a result of the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, the year to date (YTD) median dose continues to decline.
We are committed to the safety and care of every patient. Our goal is zero preventable harm. The idea of zero harm is achieved through many quality improvement measures and has led to us being a national leader with our “Zero Hero” program. As a hospital, we study measures around the prevention of medication errors, infections and hand hygiene. With more than 35 ongoing projects to improve outcomes in heart care, we are always trying to better ourselves to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families. The Preventable Harm Index below shows how we’ve decreased preventable harm from 2015 to 2021.
We are committed to the safety and care of every patient. Our goal is zero preventable harm. The idea of zero harm is achieved through many quality improvement measures and has led to us being a national leader with our “Zero Hero” program. As a hospital, we study measures around the prevention of medication errors, infections and hand hygiene.
With more than 35 ongoing projects to improve outcomes in heart care, we are always trying to better ourselves to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families.
The Preventable Harm Index below shows how we’ve decreased preventable harm from 2015 to 2021.
Concerns related to patient radiation exposure have led The Heart Center to create quality initiatives to reduce median radiation dosage during catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. As a result of the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, the year to date (YTD) median dose continues to decline.
Concerns related to patient radiation exposure have led The Heart Center to create quality initiatives to reduce median radiation dosage during catheterization and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. As a result of the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, the year to date (YTD) median dose continues to decline.
You play an important role in your child’s health care. If you have questions about our outcomes at Nationwide Children’s, feel free to ask your child’s care team or contact us directly.
