Southampton heart patients receive some of the best clinical care in the world, according to new figures.
Data published by the Wessex Cardiac Unit at Southampton General Hospital shows there were 34 post-operative deaths among 1,465 adult patients who received a coronary artery bypass graft in the past three years.
In the same period, there were five post-operative deaths from 311 patients who had an aortic valve replacement.
The data, when weighted according to each patient's risk factors, also shows that Southampton's heart surgeons saved the lives of about 150 people who would normally have been expected to die, even after treatment.
Cardiac surgeon Steve Livesey described the results as "outstanding by any national or international standard" and praised the work of all the staff in the Wessex Cardiac Unit.
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