What is Aortic Aneurysm Repair?
An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling or dilatation of the aorta (the body’s largest artery, which originates from the left ventricle of the heart and delivers oxygenated blood throughout the systemic circulation). The cause of an aortic aneurysm is usually an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location. While the stretched vessel may occasionally cause discomfort, a greater concern is the risk of rupture, which causes severe pain; massive internal hemorrhage; and, without prompt treatment, is fatal.
There are several classifications of aortic aneurysm; these quality measures reflect data related to abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm repair.
Learn more about aortic aneurysm repair.
How is Process of Care Measured?
University Hospitals participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC): a nationwide alliance of academic medical centers and their affiliated hospitals. This group represents approximately 90% of the nation’s non-profit academic medical centers.
The UHC maintains a comparative database of healthcare measures which have been established to indicate the overall quality of commonly-performed medical procedures. The primary measurement for aortic aneurysm repair process of care is mortality rate.
Mortality Rate
Why is this important to you as a patient?
Mortality rate is an indicator of good patient care process.
A lower number is better.
How do we compare outcomes?
UHCMC participates in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) comparative database along with more than 100 other academic centers across the country. The national comparison shown below compares our outcomes to those of other nationally-recognized academic medical centers.
Results:
UHCMC’s mortality rate for aortic aneurysm repair is better than expected