AHN’s Allegheny General Hospital Recognized as Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center from the Mitral Foundation for Fifth Consecutive Year

With Only 25 Facilities Achieving this Award Across the Country, Pittsburgh’s AGH Ranks Among the Most Elite Mitral Valve Programs in the Country and Only Designated Center in the Region

PITTSBURGH –  Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), announced today it has once again received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the Mitral Foundation for a demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes resulting from evidence-based, guideline-directed degenerative mitral valve repair.

This is the fifth consecutive year AGH and its AHN Cardiovascular Institute team have been recognized as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center since the recognition was established in 2019, placing AHN’s program among the most elite nationwide. To date, only 25 facilities have earned this award across the country and AGH remains the only hospital to receive this recognition in western Pennsylvania, joining just one other medical institution in the Commonwealth.

"To receive this award for the fifth consecutive year is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our clinicians and caregivers, who consistently provide the highest levels of care to our patients," said Walter E. McGregor, MD, lead surgeon of the AHN mitral valve program and director of AHN cardiac surgery at AHN’s Cardiovascular Institute. "On behalf of the entire network, I want to express my sincere gratitude for their tireless dedication, which not only upholds, but significantly strengthens, the AHN Cardiovascular Institute's legacy of clinical excellence."

The mitral valve is in the left side of the heart and works to keep blood flowing properly in one direction, from the left atrium to the left ventricle. When the valve doesn’t work correctly, causing blood to flow backward, the heart can’t pump enough oxygenated blood for the body. Symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation most often include fatigue and shortness of breath.

Mitral valve repair/reconstruction is considered the gold-standard therapy for degenerative mitral valves and is generally recommended over mitral valve replacement, since valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve typically has higher five-to-10-year complication rates compared to repair and reconstruction.

“Award recipients like Allegheny General Hospital must meet rigorous outcomes criteria for repair rates, mortality and durability,” said David H. Adams, MD, Professor and Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System and President of the Mitral Foundation. “Patients receiving care at a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award-winning facility can have confidence in their guideline-directed care.”

The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award was developed to identify, recognize and promote the nation’s recognized medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery. AGH 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.

“This is such a meaningful designation as it is contingent on superb outcomes – 95% repair rate and less than 1% mortality – in a high volume of patients and verified by the American Heart Association,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Chair of AHN Cardiovascular Institute. “We’re incredibly proud of today’s recognition as it further establishes our program as a nationally recognized leader in managing and treating complex cardiovascular disease.”

For more information on the AHN mitral valve program, please call 412-359-8180 or visit ahn.org.

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