CNN reportedly has repeatedly requested mortality rates for the elective heart surgeries on children, but St. Mary’s has refused to make these numbers public.
St. Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida has suspended elective heart surgeries on infants after CNN conducted an investigation into their mortality rate. This investigation revealed that the mortality rate is three times higher than the national average. The hospital continued to perform surgeries on infants under six months even after they were ordered by a chairman of a state-sponsored expert panel to cease pediatric surgeries.
The hospital released a press report stating they are now launching an investigation into elective heart surgeries on children. The hospital stated that they currently do not have any heart surgeries scheduled and will not be scheduling any until the review has been completed.
In this same press release, the hospital criticized CNN’s findings, stating that the mortality rate calculated by CNN was “exaggerated” and “inaccurate.” They provided a much lower number for the mortality rate than what was calculated by CNN. However, CNN states they used information reported to the state of Florida by the hospital since the program began in 2011.
Despite the recommendation of a state-sponsored expert panel, St. Mary’s continued to perform operations on infants under 6 months of age.
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons calculates these numbers bi-annually for over 100 hospitals. The society does not use a risk-adjusted mortality rate, which takes into account the risk associated to each patient when calculating the mortality rate. St. Mary’s claims not to do so either. Many hospitals allow their mortality rates to be posted on their website, but St. Mary’s does not. CNN reportedly has repeatedly requested mortality rates for the elective heart surgeries on children, but St. Mary’s has refused to make these numbers public.
CNN contacted some of the parents of babies who had died for comment. One mother is thrilled that the surgeries have ceased for now, stating that no more babies have to die.
