ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 23 (UPI) -- If all hospitals met standards created by a U.S. health coalition for five high-risk surgeries, a study shows, some 8,000 lives could be saved each year.
University of Michigan researchers said their data show if hospitals met standards for five procedures -- pancreatic surgery, esophageal surgery, open hear surgery, angioplasty and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair -- set by the Leapfrog Group, there would be 4,000 fewer deaths as a result of open heart surgery and 3,000 fewer deaths among those undergoing angioplasty.
The Leapfrog Group, which aims to improve healthcare quality, established quality standards for the five procedures based on medical evidence. The standards initially reflected surgical volumes, but have been updated to include mortality rates.
"Patients deciding where to undergo elective but high-risk surgery can substantially improve their odds of survival by selecting a hospital that meets Leapfrog safety standards," says Dr. John Birkmeyer, a professor of surgery and chair of the Michigan Surgical Collaborative.
The standards require hospitals to perform a successful number of high-risk surgeries a year, keeping mortality rates below the national average and adhering to more specific requirements to improve survival.
