Englewood, NJ, May 7, 2010 – According to the latest New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Cardiac Surgery Report, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (www.englewoodhospital.com or www.bestheartdocs.com) had no coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery mortalities – a perfect record for heart bypass surgery – during the year for which the data was collected (2007).  The report (released on May 4, 2010) provides data and information regarding open heart surgery at 18 hospitals in New Jersey.  This is the fourth consecutive cardiac surgery report in which Englewood Hospital achieved 0% mortality—a perfect record.

“The best chance of surviving bypass surgery in New Jersey is at Englewood Hospital,” said Dr. James Klein, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Englewood Hospital and co-founder of its Heart and Vascular Institute.  “We’re extremely proud because we achieve excellent results consistently and maintain a low complication rate, which means a speedier recovery and discharge for our patients.”  Dr. Klein was one of two surgeons cited in the report who performed more than 100 cardiac bypass procedures in the period 2006-2007 and had no deaths among patients.

In addition, Englewood Hospital was among the top 10 hospitals statewide for lowest length of post-surgery hospital stay (LOS) among cardiac bypass patients.

The report also shows that there was a higher proportion of complex patient cases among the CABG surgeries performed at Englewood Hospital. “Englewood’s expected patient mortality rate of 2.26 percent was higher than most other hospitals, indicating a greater percentage of very ill patients,” said Dr. Klein. “Despite this, we did not lose one patient. This reflects our team’s high degree of expertise and consistency in achieving superb outcomes, and demonstrates that we’re prepared to meet the most challenging patient cases.”  

Dr. Klein credits the consistency of excellent cardiac surgery outcomes to the cohesiveness of the team of physicians, nurses and assistants who care for patients. He explains that with very few exceptions, the same core group has been working together from the start to provide a collaborative team approach to individualized patient care.

Additionally, the most distinguishing feature of the model of care which has evolved at Englewood Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute is a focus on blood conservation and avoiding transfusions during surgeries. Nearly 80% of cardiac surgeries at Englewood Hospital—including open heart surgery, aortic and valve cases and combined bypass and valve procedures—are performed without blood transfusion, among the lowest transfusion rates in the nation. Experts believe that a bloodless approach results in fewer infections, faster healing and better outcomes. “We have become a model for other hospitals,” added Dr. Klein.

The Cardiac Surgery in New Jersey 2007 report profiles 18 New Jersey hospitals and includes information detailing mortality rates, average length of post-surgery hospital stay, and infection rates for patients who underwent bypass surgery. The report shows that cardiac surgery death rates continue to steadily decline and presently stand at an average of two percent statewide. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in New Jersey.

About Englewood Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute
Since opening its doors in 2000, Englewood Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute of New Jersey has successfully offered a range of non-surgical and minimally-invasive surgical options to cardiac surgery candidates. Nearly 80% of all cardiac surgeries performed at the Institute are performed without blood transfusions, using bloodless surgery techniques. Englewood Hospital is a leader in improving patient outcomes through the practice of bloodless medicine and surgery, which have been shown to reduce the risk of infection and improve survival after cardiac surgery.

The Heart and Vascular Institute remains one of the institutions performing among the highest proportion of complex cardiac surgery procedures in the state, including multi-valve repair, aneurysm/aortic dissection repair, atrial fibrillation correction, and endovascular thoracic aneurysm graft (TAG) repair.

For more information about the Englewood Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute of New Jersey or for a physician referral, call 866.980.EHMC or visit www.englewoodhospital.com.

-the art technologies and surgical techniques are available to patients including minimally invasive procedures and off-pump, beating-heart surgery, which eliminates the need for a heart bypass machine.

For more information, visit www.englewoodhospital.com.