Patient Outcomes at the Pediatric Heart Center

At the Pediatric Heart Center, we carefully track outcomes for the hundreds of surgical procedures we perform each year. At 97%, our survival rate for pediatric heart surgery is one of the best in the nation.

Outcomes by procedure

We perform more than 300 pediatric heart procedures each year, with excellent outcomes for some of the most complex cases, including high-risk surgeries in newborns. Below, you can see survival rates for our most frequently performed procedures. Totals are for procedures performed between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2025.

Patient outcomes at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are among the best in the nation for preterm and newborn surgeries, while we also rank as one of the highest volume centers offering this type of care.

You can also find outcomes data for surgeries performed at our Neonatal Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, which cares for premature and seriously ill babies.

About our data

As most pediatric hospitals do, we use independent data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' congenital heart surgery database and the National Quality Forum. These organizations use standard indicators to monitor health care quality in heart surgery centers across the country.

Survival rates are determined by the number of patients who survived 30 days after a procedure or until they were discharged from the hospital (whichever period is longer). Choosing a hospital with high survival rates, as well as experience with complicated procedures, helps ensure your child gets the best care possible.