What is the survival rate for heart surgery?
Modern cardiac surgery has excellent survival rates. Isolated CABG has a 97-99% survival rate (1-3% mortality). Isolated aortic valve replacement has a 97-98% survival rate. Mitral valve repair has a 99%+ survival rate at experienced centers. Combined CABG-valve surgery has a 94-97% survival rate. Emergency heart surgery carries higher risk, with mortality rates of 5-15% depending on the procedure and patient factors.
Numbers like these are averages — your risk is personal. An independent heart surgery second opinion from a dual-physician Heart Team puts your specific case in context within 24 hours.
The complete answer.
Survival rates depend heavily on patient-specific factors including age, comorbidities (diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease), urgency (elective vs emergency), and surgeon/hospital volume. The STS National Database — covering 95%+ of US cardiac surgery programs — provides risk-adjusted outcomes data. High-volume hospitals (those performing 200+ cardiac surgeries per year) consistently demonstrate better outcomes. Surgeon experience matters significantly: studies show that surgeon-specific mortality rates can vary 3-5 fold even within the same hospital.
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