Michigan Health & Safety Coalition Consumer Report

The treatment areas the coalition studied

The coalition studied patient treatment for the following seven serious medical conditions and care in the intensive care unit:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: Surgery and other procedures used to repair a distended and weakened area in the wall of the abdominal aorta. The aorta is the large blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. Weaknesses in the aorta are more common in those who suffer from atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries).

Care for low birth-weight infants in neonatal care units: Babies who weigh less than 3 pounds (1500 grams) at birth.

Care of infants with certain birth defects in neonatal care units: Physical defects or abnormalities in an infant that are present at birth due to genetic or environmental factors. Examples of congenital anomalies include spinal bifida, cleft lip or palate, Down syndrome, and muscular dystrophy.

Heart procedures or treatments performed using a catheter inserted through the skin: Medical procedures that involve inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through the skin and into a blood vessel to repair a blockage. These techniques are used to treat cardiovascular disease and relieve narrowing in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. Examples of percutaneous coronary interventions include percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary stenting.

Intensive care unit physician staffing: Staffing in a specialized patient care unit in a hospital where round-the-clock care is provided to critically ill patients.

Open-heart surgery: Any operation where the chest is opened and surgery is performed on the heart. The term "open-heart" refers to the chest, not the heart itself (which may or may not be opened depending on the type of surgery). Open-heart surgery includes surgery on the heart muscle, valves, arteries or other structures.

Removal of part of the esophagus due to cancer: An operation to remove a portion of the esophagus due to cancer. The esophagus is the muscular tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach. Cancer is a destructive growth of cells or tissue with the ability to spread to other areas of the body and, if left untreated, may be fatal.

Removal of plaque from a carotid artery: Surgical and other procedures used that remove atherosclerotic plaque (fat and cholesterol buildup) from the walls of the carotid arteries (in the neck). This procedure reduces the risk of stroke and certain types of fainting spells by restoring adequate blood flow to the brain.