In the current data year, 5 Swiss hospitals provided significant, risk-adjusted mortality data for heart valve replacement, minimal invasive surgery. 1'110 patients were monitored in these hospitals by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG). A total of 24 patients died in hospital. The average hospital mortality in heart valve replacement, minimal invasive surgery was thus 2.2%, the highest rate observed in one clinic was 7.7%. The Inselspital Bern (part of Insel group) achieved the lowest mortality rate of 0.5% in heart valve replacement, minimal invasive surgery.
Direct link to source not available in English - view it in German or in French (FOPH-code: A.7.8.M)
Quality report (pdf) not available in English - view it in German or in French
Department: Acute care
About the indicator «Mortality rate»
Relative proportion of deaths in hospital for a specific intervention or disease per hospital.
The hospitals sometimes treat groups of patients with different case severity. Therefore, the FOPH determines a rate of expected deaths per hospital and procedure. For the quality comparison, we use the ratio between the expected and the actually observed deaths (per intervention and per hospital). This is called risk adjustment. For this reason, it can occasionally happen that a hospital performs better in the ranking even though it has a slightly higher percentage of deaths.
Please note that we use the FOPH data per hospital site in order to achieve the most precise statements possible.
Strengths:
A low number of deaths is the main aim of each treatment and therefore a crucial indicator for patients. A low mortality rate is an indicator of effectively avoiding complications and good treatment processes in the hospital (e.g. quality of surgical techniques, avoidance of errors and complications etc)
Limits:
Unfortunately, mortality rates are not available for all interventions. It is not sure that results are transferable to similar interventions. Also, mortality rates are only meaningful when a sufficient number of cases is reached. Especially with interventions with a low risk of death the needed number of cases is very high and is only reached by large hospitals. For small hospitals it is often not possible to give a meaningful statement (while small case numbers are per se unfavorable, especially with complex interventions). Mortality rates are risk adjusted by the BAG by age and gender of the patient (for details please see the corresponding publications by BAG). A number of specialists have criticized this form of risk adjustment as inadequate. Also it needs to be noted that differences in patterns of relocating patients can introduce bias to mortality rates.
on September 10 I got a biological heart valve - surgery went well, had no pain afterwards and good care. 19 years after that I now need to have second surgery. I'm 46 and have again decided to go to Bodensee clinic
Heart surgery (mitral valve reconstruction) by Prof Dr Dzemali. Very competent and friendly. The nursing staff was very friendly and competent as well. All in all, I felt very well looked after in the Triemli hospital.
About the surgery:
The minimally invasive mitral valve reconstruction went well and according to the plan, the valve is impervious. After a rupture of the aorta, an emergency operation was performed and I was completely restored. In the meantime, I recovered quickly. (surgeon: Dr. Omer Dzemali)
transl. from german, inpatient treatment in Aug.2018, date of rating: 19.10.2018
Very satisfied! Good care by doctors and nurses. Would go there again.
About the surgery:
2014 heart surgery Aneurisma (Anuloaortal ectasia of the aorta ascendens) with heart valve replacement (Perimount aorta valve bio prosthesis): Surgery was very well prepared and carried out. no problems so far and full performance! (surgeon: Dr. Franz Leupi)
transl. from german, inpatient treatment in Mar.2014, date of rating: 15.04.2017
3.3