Loma Linda University Medical Center was among three Southern California hospitals that had about half the number of deaths that would normally be expected to occur during the complicated procedure to open blocked arteries, according to a May 3 article by Thomas H. Maugh II that appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

The other two Southern California hospitals who had the best outcomes for surgery for blocked arteries were: Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach; and Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Torrance.

The results of surgical outcomes in 2000 through 2002 were voluntarily reported by 77 of the state’s 121 hospitals, according to the report.

The Times article noted that hospitals with the best results were those that performed the largest number of bypass procedures.

Many experts believe that a hospital should perform at least 200 bypasses per year to maintain the best skill level for the procedure.

In California, however, nearly 69 percent of the hospitals offering the procedure performed fewer than 200 annually.

The report further noted that if all California patients were sent to hospitals that performed at least 450 bypasses per year, 110 lives would be saved annually.

This report produced by the state of California is the last voluntary report. A new state law requiring all hospitals to report their data took effect on Jan. 1, 2003.

Loma Linda University Medical Center surgeons performed 1,006 operations during the time frame of the document. A total of 18 deaths occurred following the procedures. The expected number of deaths is 39.6, according to the report.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian reported a total of 807 surgeries during the same time frame with a total of 14 deaths (expected number 23.1), and Torrance Memorial Medical Center physicians performed 607 surgeries with 12 deaths (expected number 21.3).

Beginning in 2006, the law will require hospitals to report mortality rates for individual surgeons.