Ochsner Health System (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.
Ochsner’s Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery Program is led by Dr. Benjamin B. Peeler, who joined Ochsner’s team in 2016. 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 Peeler. “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 honor.
*Mortality rates represent self-reported data from STS from July 2014-June 2018.