Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children’s Cardiovascular Program Reports Stellar Outcomes

Overall Mortality Rate at 1 Percent, Well Below National Average

Falls Church, VA   – (May 20, 2009) — Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children is pleased to announce that in 2008 the overall mortality rate for its pediatric cardiovascular program was 1 percent – well below the national average of 2.9 percent. The national average program mortality rate is based on outcomes from 11 Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society hospitals.

In 2008 the program performed 302 cardiac surgical procedures on children, and 25 congenital cases on adults. Doctors in the program are recognized as specialists for pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery. Erin, a 12-year-old from Alexandria, Va., was born with her aortic and pulmonary arteries reversed. She underwent surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children as an infant and returned in 2008 for a valve replacement. She is now back on the softball field as a pitcher and catcher.

Jim Thompson, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, commented, “Our center is able to perform all types of repairs for congenital heart defects, from the simplest to the most complex, including surgical, catheter-based and innovative hybrid procedures. Despite the complexity of cases that we treat, we have the best published results in the region. Parents and physicians seeking the best possible care for their children will find it here at Inova.”

Irving Shen, MD, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery for Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, remarked, “We have a collaborative team of cardiovascular experts and healthcare team members who provide personalized attention and family-centered care to each child who undergoes a heart surgery or procedure.”

Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children is a 186-bed, full-service children’s hospital devoted to the healthcare of infants, children and adolescents. It is Northern Virginia’s only pediatric tertiary-care center, and includes a full-service pediatric emergency department, the region’s only pediatric intensive-care unit – staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by board-certified pediatric intensivists – and the region’s largest neonatal intensive-care unit. Learn more about the hospital’s pediatric cardiovascular program.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.