Choosing a heart surgery programme is one of the most important decisions a patient can make. The hospitals that earn trust usually combine experience, outcomes and access to the right specialists. UPMC, one of the top cardiac hospitals in Pennsylvania, has spent decades building a comprehensive heart surgery service. Its approach offers a useful look at what patients seek and what successful programmes have in common.
Reputation Follows Results, Not Marketing
Heart disease continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare systems. Cardiovascular disease caused 919,032 deaths in the U.S. in 2023, accounting for roughly one in every three deaths. Between 2021 and 2022, the cost of healthcare services and medications related to heart disease exceeded $168 billion. In Canada, 8.2% of adults live with diagnosed ischemic heart disease based on 2023-2024 data. Behind those numbers are patients dealing with complex conditions that require highly specialized treatment.
Many people begin their search by looking for the best heart surgery Pennsylvania has to offer, but what they’re seeking is confidence. They want to know their care team has treated patients with similar conditions before and understands how to handle both routine and unexpected challenges.
UPMC’s heart surgeons have performed more than 20,000 open-heart surgeries during the past decade and more than 1,700 adult heart transplants. According to recent data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, UPMC achieved an estimated 100% survival rate during the first 90 days following adult heart transplantation and a one-year survival rate of 95.6%.
That experience extends across a wide range of conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart defects, aortic disease and advanced heart failure.
Innovation Works Best When It Solves Patient Problems
Heart surgery has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Many surgeries that previously required large incisions and long recovery periods are now minimally invasive procedures. Smaller incisions can mean less pain, reduced blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.
UPMC has helped drive many of these advances. The health system performed the first minimally invasive coronary bypass procedure in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the Ohio region. Its surgeons have also helped pioneer robotic cardiac surgery techniques and continue to advance transcatheter procedures such as TAVR.
Patients with heart valve disease have access to a range of treatment options, including minimally invasive, robotically assisted and transcatheter therapies. UPMC’s Center for Heart Valve Disease also holds the highest star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for valve replacement surgery and was recently recognized by WebMD as one of the top hospitals in the U.S. for heart valve replacement.
Some of the Most Important Work Happens After Surgery
A successful operation is only one part of the story. Recovery can take weeks or months, and many patients need support long after they leave the hospital. Questions about exercise, medication, nutrition and mental well-being are just as important as the procedure itself.
Research has shown that cardiac rehabilitation can reduce hospitalizations and improve long-term health outcomes. It can also help patients feel more prepared to manage life after a major cardiac event.
UPMC’s cardiac rehabilitation programme demonstrates that reality. Patients recovering from heart attacks, heart surgery, heart failure or transplantation work with nurses, exercise specialists, nutrition professionals, pharmacists and physicians throughout a structured rehabilitation plan. The programme combines supervised exercise, education and counselling to help people regain strength and confidence.
Connected Care and Accessibility Through Insurance
Heart surgery can sometimes involve various specialists and appointments. A patient may need imaging studies, consultations with multiple physicians, surgery, rehabilitation, medication management and years of follow-up care. Coordinating those services can be difficult when care is spread across different providers.
UPMC has an integrated health system that brings many of those services together. Cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, imaging specialists, rehabilitation teams and other healthcare professionals work within a connected network to support patients throughout their treatment journey.
In addition to access to a broad range of services, UPMC accepts most major insurers. These include Aetna, Highmark, Cigna, United Healthcare and UPMC Health Plan. Patients with broad-network commercial and Medicare Advantage plans from participating insurers typically have in-network access to UPMC hospitals, physicians and services.
Getting to the Heart of It
UPMC’s combination of experience, innovation, coordinated care and recovery support shows how leading cardiac programmes earn trust and deliver better patient outcomes. Those strengths remain at the centre of every successful heart surgery programme.