The Effect of Center Volume on In-Hospital Mortality After Aortic and Mitral Valve Surgical Procedures: A Population-Based Study

Hospital volume remains an important factor influencing risk-adjusted mortality after combined aortic and mitral valve surgical procedures. Hospitals that perform more than eight combined aortic and mitral heart valve operations demonstrate a superior statistical hospital survival compared with those that perform less than eight multiple-heart valve operations a year. Further policy interventions aimed to lower hospital mortality in low-volume centers may offer possibilities for quality improvement in the field of valve surgery.