With regards to high quality outcomes, the University of Virginia Children’s Heart Center continues to produce surgical results well-above the national standard. As a part of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, UVA contributes data designed to benchmark our outcomes to the rest of the country. Neonates and infants, as an example at UVA survive high-risk operations at nearly a 95% rate compared to 92% averaged from other surgical centers across the country. Even when examining the most complex, high-risk, operations performed in children, UVA consistently outperforms all available standards showcasing a 94% survival of these vulnerable infants compared to 87% survival seen nationwide.
UVA has also demonstrated the goal of getting these children home faster, and safer, to their families. Our average length of stay for our biggest operations averages nearly two weeks less than similar institutions. Even our less complex procedures exhibit faster recovery going home between 3 and 7 days sooner than industry standards. By combining a specialized Cardiac Intensive Care Unit with providers specifically trained in managing these children after surgery, the focus remains on recovering these children better and faster with a continued emphasis on transitioning them to home. These outcomes continue to showcase UVA Children’s Heart Center and our commitment to excellence in managing even the most challenging heart defects.
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