Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Fully Endoscopic Mitral Valve Repair with Percutaneous Cannulation of Groin Vessels
Published on: May 26, 2023
Cardiac surgery in Germany during 2009. A report on behalf of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular
J F Gummert1, A Funkat, A Beckmann
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, HDZ NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. jgummert@hdz-nrw.de
Insights
German cardiac surgery saw an increase in patients over 80 years old in 2009. The voluntary registry tracked 96,129 procedures, aiding quality control and showing surgical developments.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Health Services Research
Background:
- The German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery maintains a voluntary registry for cardiac surgical procedures.
- In 2009, 80 German cardiac surgical units participated in this registry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on the volume and outcomes of cardiac surgical procedures performed in Germany in 2009.
- To monitor trends in patient demographics, specifically the proportion of elderly patients.
- To assess hospital mortality rates for major cardiac surgical procedures.
Main Methods:
- Data collection through a voluntary registry of all cardiac surgical procedures performed in 2009.
- Exclusion of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and pacemaker procedures.
- Analysis of procedure types, patient age, and hospital mortality.
Main Results:
- A total of 96,129 cardiac surgical procedures were recorded.
- The proportion of patients older than 80 years increased to 11.8% in 2009 from 10.3% in 2008.
- Hospital mortality for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was 2.8% (n=45,171), with 13.1% performed off-pump.
- Hospital mortality for isolated valve procedures was 4.7% (n=23,556), including 2216 catheter-based procedures.
Conclusions:
- The voluntary registry is a vital tool for quality assessment in German cardiac surgery.
- The data illustrate the ongoing development and trends within the field, including an aging patient population.
Abstract:
All cardiac surgical procedures performed in 80 German cardiac surgical units throughout the year 2009 are presented in this report, based on a voluntary registry which is organized by the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. In 2009 a total of 96 129 cardiac surgical procedures (excluding ICD and pacemaker procedures) were collected in this registry. More than 11.8 % of the patients were older than 80 years compared to 10.3 % in 2008. Hospital mortality in 45 171 isolated CABG procedures (13.1 % off-pump) was 2.8 %. In 23 556 isolated valve procedures (including 2216 catheter-based procedures) a mortality of 4.7 % was observed. This voluntary registry of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery continues to be an important tool for quality control and illustrates the development of cardiac surgery in Germany.
