UM Health-Sparrow receives elite three-star rating for excellent cardiothoracic surgical care 

LANSING, Mich. – University of Michigan Health-Sparrow’s highly skilled cardiothoracic surgery team has been recognized for its excellence in treating patients who need open-heart surgery, placing UM Health-Sparrow among the most elite medical centers in the United States.

Hisham Qandeel, M.D., and Kirill Zakharov, D.O., along with the UM Health-Sparrow cardiothoracic surgery team, earned a 3-star ranking for isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). It’s the society’s highest possible rating for the procedure. STS, which represents all cardiac surgeons in the U.S., looks at factors like mortality, stroke, bleeding, infection and chronic diseases to calculate their ratings.

"Our cardiothoracic surgery program strives to provide the best possible care to all patients. Receiving this prestigious STS 3-star rating is a testament to the great efforts and dedication from all members in our highly skilled team,” said Qandeel, chief and medical director of cardiothoracic surgery at UM Health-Sparrow. 

During the CABG procedure, a healthy artery or vein is taken from another part of the body and joined to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses the blocked section, allowing the new channel to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It is the most common type of open-heart surgery in the U.S., with nearly 400,000 procedures completed each year, and can reduce the chance of future heart attacks.

"In addition to CABG, our team provides excellent outcomes for patients requiring a variety of complex cardiac and thoracic surgeries, for which we have received several recognitions at the state level,” said Zakharov, a cardiothoracic surgeon. “We are among the top programs in the state and beyond.”

UM Health-Sparrow’s cardiothoracic surgery team is committed to using leading-edge medicine and innovative techniques to give patients the chance to return to their active lives sooner.

To learn more about the most comprehensive heart and vascular care in Mid-Michigan, visit UofMHealthSparrow.org/Heart.