title: Comparing clinical outcomes in high-volume and low-volume off-pump coronary bypass operation programs.
abstract: sites and then analyzed the patient and hospital characteristics that had an impact on clinical outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mortality rates for the high- and low-volume OPCAB facilities both averaged 2.9% (p = NS). Patients at the high-volume OPCAB facilities had significantly lower rates of major complications (shock/hemorrhage, neurologic, renal, and cardiac) than those at the low-volume OPCAB facilities. Of the seven minor complications, rates for six were lower in the high-volume OPCAB facilities, but none of the differences reached statistical significance. High-volume OPCAB sites were significantly more likely to discharge their patients directly home than were low-volume OPCAB sites (80% versus 66%; p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggested that surgical team experience and choice of approaches to performing CABG had an impact on patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: HCA-The Healthcare Company, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tarkington
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Culler
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002983:Clinical Competence; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome