The American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation have awarded the 2024 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award to Stanford Health Care, a recognition designated for select medical centers in the United States with a track record of excellent clinical outcomes in mitral valve repair surgery. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Stanford has achieved this recognition since the program launched in November 2019.

"We are deeply honored to receive this prestigious award once again, a testament to the relentless dedication and hard work of our entire team," said Joseph Woo, MD, the Norman E. Shumway Professor and Chair of the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. "This recognition underscores our commitment to excellence in mitral valve repair for our patients and their referring physicians. It's a privilege to share this achievement with our team, and we will continue to focus on best practices and quality care."

Stanford earned the award for demonstrating adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines as well as an ongoing commitment to reporting and measuring quality and outcome metrics specific to mitral valve repairs. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center designation allows patients to identify the nation’s best surgeons and hospitals for mitral valve repair surgery.

The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve reconstruction, as opposed to valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve because valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Many patients who would benefit from repair receive replacement valves, with higher rates of death or complications within five years after surgery. 

Stanford is one of five medical centers on the West Coast listed in the Mitral Foundation's directory of Mitral Valve Repair Reference Centers. It was the first on the West Coast to receive this designation.

For more information, visit the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford Health Care Mitral Valve Repair Surgery websites.

More information about the American Heart Association and Mitral Foundation Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award is available at www.heart.org.