Frequently Asked Questions - 1st DRAFT

 

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Adult Cardiac Surgery Database

 

Version 2.52.1

 

 August, 2006

 

 

How to use the “interactive” FAQ Document:

 

1.  To review all clinical questions in an individual section, click on the section title below.

 

Section A:  seq# 40-80

Section F:  seq# 750-870

Section K:  seq# 1630-1880

Section P:  seq# 2710-3010

Section B:  seq# 100-210

Section G:  seq# 890-1040

Section L:  seq# 1920-2350

Section Q:  seq# 3020-3080

Section C:  seq# 220-340

Section H:  seq# 1050-1200

Section M:  seq# 2360-2560

Section R:  seq# 3090-3210

Section D:  seq# 350-550

Section I:  seq# 1210-1500

Section N:  seq# 2570-2600

Section S:  seq# 3220-3240

Section E:  seq# 560-670

Section J:  seq# 1520-1620

Section O:  seq# 2610-2700

 

 

2.      To review an individual Seq# clinical question, click on the Seq# title below.

 

310 ICUInHrs                                   2470 OCarAFib

340 TotHrICU                                  2560 OCarOthr

440 RenFail                                     2710 Complics                                                            

490 InfEndo                                     2750 COpReOth                                                         

850 ArrhyTyp                                   2780 CISternDeep

1050 NumDisV                                2830 CNStrokP

1260 EmergRsn                              2950 COtCoag

1280 OpCAB                                    3090-3180 Section R.

1310 OpOCard                                3220 Readm30

1380 PerfusTm                                3240 ReadmPro

1410 XClampTm

1640 OpMitral

1650 OpTricus

 

3.  CC/TM:  Corrections/Clarifications to Training Manual

 

NEW

Date

SeqNo

FieldName

Definition

From version 2.41

9/03

 

GENERAL QUESTIONS #1

-Patient has CABG; while still in hospital has thoracic aortic dissection, then reop for bleeding then expires while still in hospital.

-Another patient has CABG then reop for bleeding on same day during which time the patient gets another SVG, patient discharged alive. 

My surgeon thinks that in both these cases, we should complete 2 STS forms for each patient.

The STS is set up to capture only one, primary procedure per admission with any subsequent interventions captured as complications.  We realize that some important information will be missed, primarily OR information.

 

2/04

 

GENERAL STATEMENT #1

“Pre-op", "intra-op" and "post-op" defined according to the STS Adult Cardiac Database.

                                   

Pre-op:  time period prior to the OR until the patient enters the OR

Intra-op:  from the time the patient enter the OR until the patient exits the OR

Post-op:  from the time the patient exits the OR until the patient leaves the hospital

 

3/04

 

GENERAL STATEMENT #2

 

ONE PATIENT ADMISSION = ONE DATA COLLECTION FORM

 

8/04

A patient has an AVR done.  Within days a serious perivalvular leak develops.  The patient returns to the OR during the same hospitalization for a redo AVR- first valve removed, new valve placed.  Does this reoperation require a new Data Collection Form or is the redo AVR coded as a complication/return to OR under the original Data Collection Form?

ONE ADMISSION = ONE DATA COLLECTION FORM.  As long as the patient does not leave the hospital, all complications or postoperative events need to be captured in the complications section of the original Data Collection Form.  If the patient would have been discharged and readmitted to repair the perivalvular leak, a new Data Collection Form would need to be started.

 

9/04

Case #1:  female patient had an AVR.  Returned to surgery during the same admission for a repair of the ascending aorta.  Is the aorta repair considered a complication from the first surgery?

 

Case #2:  female patient had a 5 vessel bypass.  Within a few hours patient had a sudden cardiac arrest, returned to surgery and had an additional vein graft placed. 

 

For both cases the surgeon feels the second surgeries should be treated as separate surgeries and collected on a separate Data Collection Form. 

For the purposes of the STS, both of the second surgeries are considered complications (or postoperative events) of the first surgery and should be captured in the "Complications Section" of the Data Collection Form.  The general rule is ONE ADMISSION = ONE DATA COLLECTION FORM.  If these patients were discharged and then readmitted to return to surgery, then a new Data Collection Form would need to been completed on the second surgeries. 

 

 

01/06

the patient has an original avr and single CABG. the patient returns to the operating room 5 days later for ishemia and has a double CABG. How do I code this? 

Code the return as a Reop Other Cardiac

 

9/04

 

GENERAL STATEMENT #3

Our cardiothoracic surgeon performed a Thymectomy in the OR as the primary surgical procedure.  Do I fill out an STS Data Collection

Form to track the procedure?

 

I would.  Obviously, this record will not be included in the risk models and you will not be able to populate all of the fields.   Including all procedures that your cardiothoracic surgeon perform into the Adult Cardiac Database is a great way to keep track of your cardiothoracic surgeons' procedures.

 

03/06

Should the valve repairs done via a thoracotomy be captured in the database? It is our understanding that a mediastinal incision should be made to be applicable to the database.

Yes, any surgery performed on a structure of the heart or great vessels should be included in the Adult Cardiac Database. Surgical approach and incisions have changed over time, but the end result is still the same - repair of a cardiac structure.

 

11/04

 

GENERAL STATEMENT #4

The following guideline was developed to assist your decision of whether or not to include a case in the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

 

1.  Patient enters OR -- no incision -- no procedure = do not capture this procedure

                a.  Patient in ED with torn aorta, coding as enters the OR, dies before incision                     made= do not capture this procedure

 

2.  Patient enters OR -- with skin incision and surgical intervention on heart and/or great vessels -- procedure aborted = capture  as "Other Cardiac Procedure - Other"

                a.  Patient in OR with incision, cannulated, patient arrests and expires = "Other Cardiac Procedure - Other"

                b.  Patient in OR for redo CABG, while performing mediansternotomy, aorta is nicked, patient expires = "Other Cardiac Procedure - Other"

 

3.  Patient enters OR -- with skin incision and no further surgical intervention -- procedure aborted = capture as "Other Non Cardiac Procedure - Other"

                a.  Patient enters the OR for AVR, chest opened, Aorta too fragile, procedure aborted, no AVR = "Other Non Cardiac Procedure - Other"

 

1/06

What are we accomplishing by collecting the data described in General Statement #4 from 11/04?  We were informed from STS that the "other cardiac" and "other non-cardiac" sections were to be used in conjunction with a CAB or a valve only.  This data is not used in harvest, correct?

The data is used in harvest, but not for any Risk-adjusted outcomes. These fields are NOT to be used only in conjunction with CAB or Valve surgeries. The Adult Cardiac database is intended to include any surgery done on the structures of the heart and/or great vessels. Advantages of including these procedures are the ability to monitor outcomes for all cardiac surgeries, tracking of 100% of CT surgery volume, and, as technology changes, tracking and trending outcomes of new procedures (i.e. Arrhythmia Correction surgery, MAZE).

NEW!

08/06

OpOCard
  Message: Pt goes into OR for valve procedure. During induction of anesthesia, and prior to surgical inc, pt codes. Sternotomy performed for purpose of cardiac massage. Pt expires. Does this procedure count?

General Statement #4 of the FAQ will help you with decisions to include or not include patients of this type. This would be close to Scenario #3. Include as an Other-NonCardiac Other.

 

4/05

 

GENERAL STATEMENT #5

How do we code an Aortic Edwards Lifesciences Model 2625 Porcine Valve and a Mitral Edwards Lifesciences 6625LP Porcine valve?

The Mitral Edwards Lifescience 6625LP is listed in the 2.52.1 mitral implant list.  It is the C-E Duraflex Porcine Bioprosthesis #76 listed on page 72 of the Version 2.52.1 Data Specifications, and on the DCF is B28.  The Aortic Edwards Lifescience model 2625 is the C-E standard porcine bioprosthesis # 23 on page 65 of the V2.52.1 Data Specifications and on the DCF as B7. Both are stented valves.  Please refere to the Edwards Lifescience web site under products to view additional information concerning the various types of valves and their features. If you ever have a question about a specific Model number of a valve, please refer to the manufacturer's website as most will let you search by model number. The Valve Key includes all valves that were FDA approved at the time when the 2.52.1 data specifications went out to the software vendors to be upgraded back in 2003. If the exact valve name is not on the valve key list or in the 2.52.1 data specifications and the manufacturer's website says the valve is not exactly the same as one on the valve key, please code as 777-Other. The valve key will be updated will all FDA approved valve implants at the time of the next specification upgrade. You might consider adding a custom field for any time you code 777 to allow you to track devices that are implanted that do not yet appear on the valve key.

 

 

10

Software Vendor Name

Name (assigned by STS) given to identify software vendor (up to 8 characters).  Vendors should use standard name identification across sites.  Changes to Vendor Name Identification must be approved by the STS. 

 

 

20

Software Version

Vendor's software product name and version number identifying the software which created this record.  Vendor controls the value in this field.  Version passing certification/harvesting testing will be noted at warehouse.

 

 

30

STS Data Version

Version number of the STS Data Specifications/Dictionary, to which each record conforms. It will identify which fields should have data, and what are the valid data for each field. It must be the version implemented in the software at the time the data was collected and the record was created. This must be entered into the record automatically by the software.

 

 

40

Participant ID

Participant ID is a unique number assigned to each database Participant by the STS. A database Participant is defined as one entity that signs a Participation Agreement with the STS, submits one data file to the harvest, and gets back one report on their data. The Participant ID must be entered into each record.

Each Participant's data if submitted to harvest must be in one data file. If one Participant keeps their data in more than one file (e.g. at two sites), then the Participant must combine them back into one file for harvest submission.

If two or more Participants share a single purchased software, and enter cases into one database, then the data must be extracted into two different files, one for each Participant ID, with each record having the correct Participant ID number.

 

 

50

Record ID

An arbitrary, unique number that permanently identifies each record in the participant's database (note that unlike the PatID value, this does not identify the individual patient). Once assigned to a record, this number can never be changed or reused.  The value by itself can be used to identify the record in the participant's database.  When used in conjuction with the ParticID value, it can identify the record in the data warehouse database.  The data warehouse will use this value to communicate issues about individual records with the participant.  This value may also be used at the warehouse to link to other clinical data.

 

 

60

Cost Link

A participant specified alpha-numeric code that can be used to link this record's clinical data with the participant's cost information for this patient admission.  This information may be used in the future to perform procedure cost analysis (for which the actual cost data would have to be harvested separately).  The value in this field must not be the patient's Medical Record Number, Social Security Number or any other patient identifying value.

 

 

70

STS Trial Link Number

The unique identification number assigned by the STS indicating the clinical trial in which this patient is participating.  This field should be left blank if the patient is not participating in a clinical trial associated with the STS.

 

 

80

Patient ID

This is an arbitrary number (not a recognizable ID like SSN or Medical Record Number) that uniquely and permanently identifies each patient. Once assigned to a patient, this can never be changed or reused. If a patient is admitted to the hospital more than once, each record for that patient will have the same value in this field.