Population
How common is a disease or outcome across a defined group?
CARDIAC SURGERY DATA, EXPLAINED
Cardiac surgery statistics—read in the right context.
National data can help you ask better questions. It cannot estimate your own risk, select the right procedure, or tell you where to have surgery without the details of your case.
Written review in 24 hoursafter all required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCETHE QUESTION IT CAN ANSWER
Program
How did a participating group perform for a reported procedure and period?
Your case
How do your procedure, anatomy, health, and goals change the decision?
The closer the question gets to you, the more the complete medical record matters.
A CREDIBLE STARTING POINT
Three numbers. Three different meanings.
Every figure below is tied to an official or primary source. None represents a WHITEGLOVEMD outcome or predicts what will happen to an individual patient.
of adult cardiac surgery procedures are represented in the STS National Database
Registry coverage—not a success rate.STS National DatabaseU.S. deaths with coronary heart disease as the underlying cause in 2023
Population burden—not surgical mortality.AHA 2026 Statistics Updateadult cardiac operation categories currently included in STS public reporting
Participant reporting is voluntary.STS Public ReportingDO NOT MIX THE DENOMINATORS
Three kinds of evidence answer three kinds of questions.
Published population evidence
Registries, guidelines, and peer-reviewed studies describe defined cohorts. Their methods, dates, inclusion criteria, and limitations determine what can reasonably be inferred.
Useful for:Background, benchmarks, and guideline context.Cardiac program data
STS public reporting can show procedure-specific composite ratings and components for voluntarily reporting participants. The results are risk adjusted and tied to a reporting period.
Useful for:Opening a more precise conversation about program fit.Patient-specific review
Your procedure, urgency, anatomy, history, organ function, prior operations, and treatment goals determine whether a published average is even relevant.
Useful for:Understanding what the evidence may mean for your decision.CARDIAC-SURGERY PUBLIC DATA
What STS public reporting can—and cannot—tell you.
STS publishes risk-adjusted results for participating adult cardiac surgery groups across five operation categories. Participation is voluntary. Ratings are specific to the participant, procedure, case mix, and reporting period.
The important caveat: STS states that results are not intended for direct participant-to-participant comparison. Use the data to ask more specific questions—not to reduce a complex decision to a league table.
CURRENTLY REPORTEDADULT CARDIAC CATEGORIES
CABG
Isolated coronary artery bypass grafting
AVR
Isolated aortic valve replacement
AVR + CABG
Combined aortic valve replacement and bypass
MVRR
Isolated mitral valve replacement or repair
MVRR + CABG
Combined mitral valve surgery and bypass
FROM REGISTRY TO RECORD
National dataProcedurePatient inputsYour risk discussion
PERSONALIZED OPERATIVE RISK
A national average is not your number.
The STS Operative Risk Calculator uses procedure-specific models and current nationwide data to estimate defined short-term outcomes. STS says its current calculator covers more than 90% of adult heart surgeries and updates its underlying models every three months.
- The procedure must match a supported model.
- The variables entered must be current and complete.
- The estimate is a starting point for informed discussion—not a diagnosis or guarantee.
GUIDELINE CONTEXT
When the right path is unclear, the Heart Team matters.
The 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI coronary revascularization guideline recommends a multidisciplinary Heart Team approach when the optimal strategy is unclear. It also says decisions should be patient centered and include shared decision-making—and identifies STS surgical-risk calculation as indicated for patients undergoing surgical revascularization.
2021 Revascularization GuidelineMULTI-SPECIALTY SECOND-OPINION EVIDENCE
What the often-cited 2017 study actually found.
Researchers compared referral and final diagnoses for 286 patients sent from primary care to one academic medical center for undifferentiated problems.
FROM NUMBERS TO YOUR DECISION
How the WHITEGLOVE Heart Team puts the evidence to work.
The service facts below describe the current WHITEGLOVEMD review. They are not published outcome claims and do not promise that a treatment plan or result will change.
Two independent clinical perspectives
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist review the complete case from their respective specialties.
Risk estimates with their limitations visible
When applicable, the review may consider estimates from STS PROM, EuroSCORE II, and the current AATS Quality Gateway calculator, with required inputs and limits made visible.
Guidelines connected to your facts
The report places relevant guideline classes beside the clinical details that make them applicable.
One patient-facing report
WHITEGLOVE Insights™ organizes the current plan, alternatives, anatomy, workup gaps, risk, questions, and next steps.
START WITH THE WRITTEN REVIEW
Your complete WHITEGLOVE Heart Team review, delivered within 24 hours after records are confirmed complete.
Delivered within 24 hours only after all required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete.PRIMARY STUDIES & OFFICIAL SOURCES
Read the evidence, not just the headline.
Source pages were reviewed July 16, 2026. Registry scope, public-reporting periods, and risk models can change; follow each link for the current source context.
- 012026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data
American Heart Association, Circulation. Published online January 21, 2026. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001412.
Open source - 02STS National Database overview and Adult Cardiac Surgery Database
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Current registry scope and participation information.
Open source - 03Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Public Reporting
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Voluntary, procedure-specific participant reporting.
Open source - 04Explanation of Adult Cardiac Surgery Star Ratings
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Risk adjustment, composite measures, and rating interpretation.
Open source - 05Adult Cardiac Surgery Database Operative Risk Calculator
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Procedure-specific estimates based on current nationwide registry data.
Open source - 06ACC/AHA/SCAI Coronary Revascularization Guideline: Key Perspectives
American College of Cardiology. Heart Team, shared decision-making, and STS surgical-risk guidance.
Open source - 07Extent of diagnostic agreement among medical referrals
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2017;23(4):870–874. PMID: 28374457. DOI: 10.1111/jep.12747.
Open source - 08EuroSCORE II
European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. 2012;41(4):734–744. PMID: 22378855. DOI: 10.1093/ejcts/ezs043.
Open source - 09AATS Cardiac Surgery Risk Calculator
American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Current Quality Gateway calculator and stated scope.
Open source
FAQ
The questions behind the percentages.
These answers are educational. Your treating team should interpret any statistic in the context of your complete case.
Request a free orientation callWhat is the average mortality rate for heart surgery?+
There is no single mortality rate that accurately describes every heart operation. Procedure type, urgency, age, organ function, prior surgery, anatomy, and other patient factors can materially change risk. National benchmarks are useful context, but an individualized estimate requires complete clinical inputs and a procedure-specific model.
What is the STS National Database?+
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database is a large clinical registry for cardiothoracic surgery. Its Adult Cardiac Surgery Database contains procedure and outcome data used for quality improvement, risk models, benchmarking, and voluntary public reporting.
What do one-, two-, and three-star STS ratings mean?+
In the STS framework, one star means worse than expected, two stars means as expected, and three stars means better than expected for the reported composite and time period. Ratings are risk adjusted, participant specific, and should be interpreted with procedure mix, case volume, reporting dates, and data completeness in view.
Can I compare two hospitals by their STS star ratings?+
STS cautions that results are specific to each participant’s case mix and are not intended for direct participant-to-participant ranking. A rating is one useful signal. Procedure-specific experience, the actual surgical group, current reporting period, your anatomy, and practical access also deserve discussion.
Does a higher-volume heart surgery program always have better outcomes?+
Volume can provide useful context, but volume alone does not establish quality or predict an individual result. Ask about experience with your exact procedure, current risk-adjusted outcomes when available, the team and facility involved, and how your personal risk profile changes the decision.
Does research prove that a second opinion will change my heart surgery plan?+
No. The often-cited 2017 study on diagnostic agreement involved 286 referrals for undifferentiated problems at one academic medical center; it was not a cardiac-surgery trial. It shows why another review can add information in some settings, but it cannot predict whether your diagnosis or treatment plan will change.
What does a cardiac surgery risk score tell me?+
A validated risk model estimates the probability of defined outcomes for patients with similar inputs and procedures. It is not a diagnosis, a guarantee, or a complete treatment recommendation. The estimate is only as useful as the accuracy and completeness of the variables entered.
How does WHITEGLOVEMD use cardiac surgery data?+
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist independently review the complete record. When applicable, the review may consider estimates from STS PROM, EuroSCORE II, and the current AATS Quality Gateway calculator alongside guidelines, anatomy, workup completeness, alternatives, and public program data. The co-signed WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report makes required inputs, assumptions, and limitations visible.
When does the 24-hour review window begin?+
The 24-hour review window begins only after all records and imaging required for the case are received and confirmed complete. It does not begin at purchase or while information is still missing.
What if I have urgent chest pain or other emergency symptoms?+
Do not wait for an online review. Call 911 or seek immediate local emergency care for chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, stroke symptoms, or any other urgent or worsening symptoms.
MEDICAL & EMERGENCY BOUNDARY
Statistics describe groups, not destinies. WHITEGLOVEMD provides educational medical-record review and decision support; it does not replace treating clinicians or emergency care. If you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, stroke symptoms, or another urgent concern, call 911 or seek immediate local care.
YOUR NUMBERS NEED YOUR RECORD
Understand the evidence before you make the decision.
Put population data, public program information, risk models, and your complete clinical record into one organized second perspective.