Virginia Mason Memorial

An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The most common reason to have an appendectomy is an inflamed or infected appendix, a condition called appendicitis.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in appendectomy and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Coronary interventional procedures are minimally invasive procedures, such as angioplasty, that open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries (blood vessels of the heart) to restore normal blood flow to the heart muscle.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in coronary interventional procedures and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

A heart attack is a life-threatening condition in which your heart muscle is deprived of oxygen. A heart attack, usually caused by a blood clot, causes serious damage to your heart muscle and its ability to function effectively.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating heart attack patients and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Heart failure, or congestive heart failure (CHF), occurs when your heart is damaged and too weak to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. Fluid pools in your body’s tissues, causing swelling and life-threatening lung congestion.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with heart failure and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Pacemaker procedures include surgery to implant or replace a pacemaker—an electronic device that treats heart rhythm problems, mainly in the upper chambers (atria). A pacemaker sends low-energy electrical pulses to restore a normal heart rhythm.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in pacemaker procedures and talk to your doctor about what's right for you.

Diabetic emergencies include hypoglycemic shock and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and coma. Both conditions are life-threatening complications of diabetes. Hypoglycemic shock occurs when blood sugar gets too low. DKA occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones, which can lead to coma.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with diabetic emergencies and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in an artery in the lungs. A pulmonary embolism is a potentially life-threatening condition that is usually caused by a blood clot that travels to the lung from a vein in the leg.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in patients with a pulmonary embolism and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Respiratory failure is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the respiratory system fails to supply enough oxygen to the body or remove carbon dioxide waste from the body.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with respiratory failure and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Sepsis is caused by any serious infection that spreads through the bloodstream and results in potentially life-threatening inflammation throughout the body.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with sepsis and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

A bowel obstruction, also called intestinal obstruction, is a blockage of the bowel (intestine) that prevents passage of intestinal material.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with bowel obstruction and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Colorectal surgeries correct problems of the colon (large intestine) and rectum. Surgeries include full or partial removal (resection) of the colon or rectum; removal of the left or right side (hemicolectomy), the lower part (sigmoidectomy), or  the upper part (cecectomy) of the colon; and attaching the colon to an opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall (colostomy).

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in colorectal surgeries and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Esophageal and stomach surgeries correct problems of the esophagus and stomach, including bleeding and ulcers. Surgeries include full or partial removal of the stomach (gastrectomy), removal of the vagus nerve responsible for stomach acid (vagotomy), and intestine resection and anastomosis.  

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in esophageal/stomach surgeries and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

A gastrointestinal (GI) bleed is bleeding that occurs anywhere in the digestive tract. Ulcers, gastritis, esophageal varices, diverticulosis, bowel inflammation, and GI tumors can cause potentially life-threatening GI bleeding.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with a gastrointestinal bleed and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, which is a digestive system gland positioned behind your stomach. Gallstones and alcohol abuse are known to cause pancreatitis.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with pancreatitis and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Gallbladder removal surgery (also known as cholecystectomy) is the surgical removal of the gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ that concentrates and stores bile. The gallbladder can become inflamed and painful, usually due to a gallstone (cholecystitis).

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in gallbladder removal surgery and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Gynecologic surgery refers to procedures to remove one or both ovaries or the fallopian tubes. These procedures are performed to treat cancer, ectopic pregnancy, or severe endometriosis.

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Women who have a gynecologic surgery at a hospital that received 5 stars for advanced gynecologic procedures by Healthgrades have a lower chance of experiencing complications compared to a hospital that received 1 star.

A hysterectomy is surgery to remove a woman’s uterus. A woman may have a hysterectomy for different reasons including: uterine fibrosis, prolapse, cancer, endometriosis, abnormal bleeding, chronic pain, or adenomyosis. 

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Women who have a hysterectomy at a hospital that received 5 stars for hysterectomy by Healthgrades have a lower chance of experiencing complications compared to a hospital that received 1 star.

Urogynecologic surgeries and procedures treat urinary incontinence and female pelvic floor disorders. Incontinence and pelvic floor disorders are extremely common and often involve the muscles, ligaments, connective tissue, and/or nerves of the uterus, vagina, bladder, and rectum.

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Women who have a urogynecologic surgery or procedure at a hospital that received 5 stars for urogynecologic surgeries and procedures by Healthgrades have a lower chance of experiencing complications compared to a hospital that received 1 star.

C-section delivery refers to the delivery of a baby through a surgical incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. These ratings are based on complication outcomes for live-born single, twins or triplets delivered via C-section and the mother’s care during the hospital stay. 

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Women who deliver at a hospital that received 5 stars for C-section delivery by Healthgrades have a lower chance of experiencing complications compared to a hospital that received 1 star.

Vaginal delivery refers to the delivery of a baby through the vaginal canal. These ratings are based on complication outcomes for live-born single or twins delivered via vaginal delivery and the mother’s care during the hospital stay.

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Women who deliver at a hospital that received 5 stars for vaginal delivery by Healthgrades have a lower chance of experiencing complications compared to a hospital that received 1 star.

A stroke is a life-threatening condition caused by a disruption of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Rapid treatment of stroke can prevent or reduce permanent brain damage.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating stroke patients and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Hip fracture treatment often requires surgical repair of the upper part of the thigh bone (femur) that fits into the hip socket. Hip fracture treatment may involve repositioning the bones and holding them in place using metal plates and screws.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in hip fracture treatment and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Hip replacement surgery involves removing and replacing a diseased hip joint with an artificial hip joint. Hip replacement is usually performed to treat advanced arthritis of the hip.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in hip replacement and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Total knee replacement surgery involves removing a diseased knee joint and replacing it with an artificial knee joint made of plastic or metal materials. Total knee replacement is usually performed to treat advanced arthritis of the knee.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in total knee replacement and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

COPD is a serious lung disease that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive asthma. These diseases inflame and constrict the airways in the lungs and limit your ability to breathe.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with COPD and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Pneumonia is a lung infection usually caused by viruses and bacteria. It is a common complication of hospitalization and critical illnesses, particularly lung diseases.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with pneumonia and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Back and neck surgery includes several surgeries, including discectomy, to treat spinal nerve compression, pain and numbness caused by a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and spinal stenosis.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in back and neck surgery (without spinal fusion) and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

A spinal fusion is the surgical joining of two vertebrae (bones) in your neck or back to treat pain due to spinal fracture, degenerative disc disease, or abnormalities of the spine.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in spinal fusion and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

Resection/replacement abdominal aorta is a surgery to treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which is a bulging, weak area in the aorta. An AAA can burst, causing life-threatening bleeding.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Plan ahead to maximize your chance of surviving an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in treating patients with an AAA and talk to your doctor.

Carotid surgery includes procedures to treat diseases and injuries in one or both carotid arteries in your neck. Carotid surgery can treat aneurysms and carotid artery disease, which is caused by fatty plaque buildup.

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All hospitals strive to offer great medical care—but some do a better job than others. Use Healthgrades to research hospital performance in carotid surgery and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.