Methodology in coronary artery bypass surgery quality assessment

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is associated with a high risk of mortality and morbidity; thus, assessment of surgery quality is necessary. In this perspective, we will focus on the structure, process, and outcomes measured as quality assessment. A set of 21 evidence-based structure, process, and outcome measures were selected as National Quality Forum. Of these, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons ultimately chose 11 individual quality measures grouped them into four domains used to assess the quality of CABGs. These four domains consisted of perioperative medical care, operative care, risk-adjusted operative mortality and postoperative risk-adjusted major morbidity. These measures have been useful as quality improvement tools in assessing the quality of CABG surgery.