linked in pixel

Ochsner Health Congenital Heart Surgery Program Announces 100 Percent Survival Rates in Neonate, Child Patients

Ochsner Health (Ochsner) and Ochsner Hospital for Children have released 2018 survival rates for congenital heart surgery patients, which included 100 percent survival for all neonatal surgery, including the Norwood procedure. A summary of Ochsner’s congenital heart surgery mortality rates, compared with data* from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), is as follows:

PROCEDURE

OCHSNER HEALTH SYSTEM (2018)

SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS

Neonatal Heart Surgery (ages 0-30 days)

0%

8.2%

Child Heart Surgery (ages 366 days – 18 years)

0%

1%

Norwood Procedure (for hypoplastic left heart syndrome)

0%

14.9%

Congenital Heart Surgery (all patients, all ages)

1%

2.9%



Ochsner’s Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery Program is led by Dr. Benjamin B. Peeler, who joined Ochsner’s team in 2016. Dr. Peeler is a board-certified congenital cardiac surgeon.

Two-year data (2017-2018) also showed significant success rates over national averages at Ochsner. These included 100 percent survival from the Norwood procedure and an overall mortality rate of 1.8 percent, significantly below the national average of 2.9 percent.

“Our survival rates are the result of the combined efforts of our growing team of dedicated professionals who have made our mission to provide elite level outcomes and an excellent family experience at Ochsner Hospital for Children,” said Dr. Peeler, Chief, Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Surgery at Ochsner. “We think all patients and families in Louisiana should have access to the best level of care available in our state, which is not easy to accomplish and has not been historically available close to home. The Ochsner Congenital Heart center is on course to develop into one of the top-performing centers in the country.”

Congenital heart defects/diseases are one of the most common types of birth abnormalities. The condition affects the heart walls, heart valves and blood vessels and can range from simple and symptomless to complex and life-threatening problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are ~1 million children in the U.S. living with congenital heart defects.

Ochsner’s congenital heart program provides patients with access to the most advanced treatments and technologies such as: single ventricle repair with the Norwood procedure; valvular repair, ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation and heart transplants. Ochsner’s highly trained congenital heart team includes interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists, pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric intensivists, perfusionists and nurses and critical care cardiac specialists. Additionally, Ochsner Hospital for Children’s congenital heart program includes a 12-bed state of the art pediatric cardiac intensive care unit dedicated to the needs of this group of often complex patients.

For the second consecutive year, Ochsner Hospital for Children was named as one of the Top 50 Children’s Hospitals in the Country by U.S. News and World Report. Ochsner is the only pediatric facility in Louisiana and Mississippi to receive this prestigious honor.

For more information about Ochsner’s congenital heart program or to make an appointment, please visit http://www.ochsner.org/chd or call 504-842-0650.

*Mortality rates represent self-reported data from STS from July 2014-June 2018.

###

Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across three specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.