Patient Outcomes for Esophagectomy

At Massachusetts General Hospital, we believe it's important to provide safe and effective care. The Department of Surgery tracks many performance measures and compares them to national data including:

• Esophagectomy for Cancer Outcomes
• Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons

Esophagectomy for Cancer Outcomes

Mass General's outcomes are exemplary, given the high number of very ill and extremely complex patients we serve, as compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) norms.

At Mass General, patient safety is a priority. Our rates of complication from esophagectomy for cancer are significantly lower than national average. Mass General also performs 60% of these operations with a minimally invasive technique.

The following chart shows the Esophagectomy for Cancer Outcomes from July 2016 to June 2019. 1.8% is the Mass General rate for in-hospital mortality following esophagectomy for cancer. 3.3% is the national rate. 15.2% is the Mass General for major complications following esophagectomy for cancer. 30.8% is the national rate. 95.9% is Mass General's overall composite score for patient wellness following esophagectomy for cancer. 90.3% is the national rate. The star symbol indicates that performance is statistically better than the benchmark.

Mass General data: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database
Data period: July 2016 - June 2019
Major Complication includes: Unplanned Return to the Operating Room, Anastomotic Leak, Reintubation/Respiratory Failure, Vent Support > 48 hrs, Pneumonia, New Renal Failure, Recurrent Larygneal Nerve Paresis

   ★ Performance is statistically better than the benchmark
= Performance is statistically similar to the benchmark
   ▼ Performance is statistically worse than the benchmark

Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons

Patients give high ratings to Mass General thoracic surgeons.

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPHS) surveys ask patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with health care. In recent ratings, our surgeons have rated very high relative to the national average, compared to national patient ratings of all doctors.

The following chart shows the Patient Ratings of Thoracic Surgeons from January to December 2019. 91% of patients rate Mass General doctors as 9 or 10 (10 being the highest). 80% is the national rate. 94% of patients would definitely recommend a Mass General doctor. 76% is the national rate.

Mass General and national data: Quality Data Management (QDM), CAHPS Clinician and Groups Patient Survey
Data period: January - December 2019