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Best Heart Surgery Hospitals in USA

Several nationally recognized medical centers have extensive cardiovascular programs.

Hospital	Notable Cardiac Areas
Cleveland Clinic	CABG, valve surgery, aortic surgery, TAVR, transplant
Mayo Clinic	Complex cardiovascular surgery, minimally invasive surgery, transplant
NewYork-Presbyterian	Cardiac surgery, structural heart, transplantation
Cedars-Sinai	Advanced heart disease, cardiac surgery, transplant
Mount Sinai	Valve disease, cardiac surgery, structural heart care

Patients should compare the specific program and surgeon for their condition rather than selecting a hospital based only on its overall reputation.

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic has one of the most prominent cardiovascular programs in the United States.

Its heart surgery services cover complex areas such as:

Coronary artery bypass grafting
Aortic valve replacement
Mitral valve surgery
Aortic surgery
TAVR
Ventricular assist devices
Heart transplantation

One particularly useful feature is outcomes transparency.

Cleveland Clinic participates in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons public-reporting initiative and currently reports the highest three-star STS rating across categories including CABG, aortic valve replacement, AVR plus CABG, mitral valve repair/replacement, mitral surgery plus CABG, and multiprocedural cardiac surgery for the applicable reporting periods.

It also publishes current 2026 cardiac-surgery outcome information, including data covering January through May 2026.

Strong fit for: Patients investigating complex cardiac surgery, valve procedures, CABG, aortic surgery, or advanced heart failure.

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic operates major cardiovascular programs across its Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida campuses.

Mayo describes its cardiovascular surgery practice as a high-volume program performing complex procedures with strong outcomes. Its campuses are nationally recognized for cardiology and cardiovascular surgery.

Its cardiac specialists treat conditions involving:

Coronary artery disease
Heart valve disease
Aortic disease
Congenital heart disease
Heart failure
Complex rhythm disorders
Transplantation

For patients with multiple medical problems, Mayo’s multidisciplinary structure can be particularly useful because cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, imaging specialists, anesthesiologists, and other specialists can collaborate on complicated cases.

Strong fit for: Complex cardiovascular disease, second opinions, advanced surgery, and multidisciplinary care.

NewYork-Presbyterian

NewYork-Presbyterian provides advanced cardiac surgery through major academic programs associated with Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine.

Its cardiovascular services include treatment for conditions involving coronary arteries, heart valves, the aorta, heart failure, and structural heart disease.

Large academic centers can be especially valuable when a patient requires a combination of:

Cardiac surgery + interventional cardiology + advanced imaging + electrophysiology + intensive care.

Patients considering NewYork-Presbyterian should compare the individual surgeon, procedure-specific outcomes, insurance participation, and estimated costs for their particular treatment.

Strong fit for: Complex cardiac cases and patients seeking a major academic heart center in New York.

Cedars-Sinai

Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles provides advanced cardiovascular care across cardiac surgery, heart failure, transplantation, structural heart disease, and other specialties.

For patients with advanced disease, the availability of multiple treatment options at one institution can be important.

For example, a patient with severe aortic stenosis may need evaluation to determine whether conventional surgical valve replacement or a transcatheter approach is more appropriate.

Strong fit for: Advanced cardiovascular treatment and complex heart disease, particularly for patients in the western United States.

Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai in New York has extensive cardiovascular services covering cardiac surgery, coronary disease, valve disease, structural-heart procedures, and other advanced treatments.

Heart-valve disease is particularly interesting because modern patients may have both traditional surgical and catheter-based options.

That means the strongest center for an individual patient may be one where cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists evaluate the case together.

Strong fit for: Heart-valve disease, structural-heart treatment, and complex cardiovascular care.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Coronary artery bypass grafting, commonly called CABG or heart bypass surgery, is performed to improve blood flow when coronary arteries are significantly narrowed or blocked.

A surgeon uses a healthy blood vessel from another area of the body to create a new pathway around the blocked artery.

CABG may be considered for selected patients with:

Severe coronary artery disease
Multiple blocked arteries
Left-main coronary disease
Certain complicated patterns of heart disease

The appropriate treatment depends on the patient’s anatomy, symptoms, other medical conditions, and specialist evaluation.

For CABG patients, it can be useful to examine procedure-specific outcomes rather than relying on a hospital’s overall ranking.

Cleveland Clinic, for example, currently reports the highest STS three-star rating for CABG for the July 2022–June 2025 reporting period.

Heart Valve Repair and Replacement

Heart valves regulate blood flow through the heart.

Diseased valves can become narrowed (stenosis) or fail to close properly (regurgitation).

Treatment can involve:

Valve Repair

The surgeon preserves and repairs the patient’s existing valve where appropriate.

Valve Replacement

A damaged valve may be replaced with a mechanical or biological valve.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Selected patients may qualify for procedures performed through smaller incisions rather than conventional open-heart surgery.

The best approach depends on the valve involved, age, anatomy, health status, and other clinical considerations.

TAVR: An Alternative to Open Valve Surgery

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has transformed the treatment of aortic stenosis.

Instead of conventional open-heart surgery, physicians insert a replacement valve using a catheter.

TAVR is not automatically the correct option for every patient.

A specialized heart team typically evaluates factors such as:

Age + anatomy + surgical risk + valve condition + life expectancy + other medical conditions.

Hospitals with strong structural-heart programs can offer both surgical and catheter-based options, allowing specialists to recommend the appropriate approach.

Cleveland Clinic currently reports the highest STS/ACC three-star TAVR rating for its applicable public-reporting period.

Minimally Invasive and Robotic Heart Surgery

Some cardiac procedures can now be performed through smaller incisions.

Potential benefits for appropriately selected patients can include reduced surgical trauma and different recovery characteristics compared with conventional sternotomy.

Possible applications include certain:

Mitral valve operations
Aortic valve procedures
Coronary procedures
Congenital repairs

However, “minimally invasive” does not automatically mean safer or better.

For complex cases, conventional surgery may remain the appropriate option.

Patients should ask how many procedures of the specific type their surgeon performs and what outcomes the program reports.

Heart Transplantation

Heart transplantation represents one of the most advanced forms of cardiovascular treatment.

It may be considered for selected patients with end-stage heart failure when other treatments are no longer sufficient.

The process can involve:

Advanced heart-failure evaluation → transplant listing → donor matching → transplant surgery → ICU → hospitalization → anti-rejection medication → rehabilitation → lifelong monitoring.

A heart-transplant program therefore requires far more than an experienced surgeon.

It needs transplant cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, intensive-care specialists, infectious-disease experts, pharmacists, coordinators, rehabilitation teams, and long-term follow-up.

Patients with advanced heart failure should compare transplant-program experience and outcomes separately from general heart-surgery rankings.

How Much Does Heart Surgery Cost in the USA?

There is no single national price for heart surgery.

The total cost can depend on:

Procedure
Hospital
Surgeon
Geographic location
Insurance company
Negotiated rate
ICU requirements
Length of stay
Medical devices
Complications
Rehabilitation

A routine scheduled valve procedure and a complicated emergency cardiac operation can have dramatically different financial profiles.

More importantly:

Hospital billed charge ≠ insurer-negotiated rate ≠ patient out-of-pocket cost.

These are different numbers.

Hospital Price Transparency in 2026

Patients now have access to more hospital-pricing information.

CMS requires most U.S. hospitals subject to federal price-transparency regulations to publish standard charges, including gross charges, discounted cash prices, payer-specific negotiated charges, and de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated charges.

The 2026 rules expanded the information further.

When certain negotiated charges are based on percentages or algorithms, hospitals must report median, 10th-percentile, and 90th-percentile allowed amounts, along with the relevant count of allowed amounts.

For someone planning heart surgery, this creates another source of information when comparing hospitals.

However, complicated surgery remains difficult to price perfectly in advance because the final cost can change with complications and length of hospitalization.

Health Insurance and Heart Surgery

Health insurance can substantially affect what a patient ultimately pays.

Before scheduling heart surgery, patients should verify several things.

Is the Hospital In-Network?

An in-network hospital generally has negotiated pricing arrangements with the insurance company.

Is the Surgeon In-Network?

Check the cardiovascular surgeon and other important providers rather than assuming everyone at the hospital has identical network status.

Is Prior Authorization Required?

Major cardiac procedures may require insurer authorization.

What Is the Deductible?

A patient may need to satisfy an applicable deductible before certain insurance benefits begin paying.

What Coinsurance Applies?

After the deductible, the patient may still owe a percentage of eligible covered costs.

What Is the Out-of-Pocket Maximum?

For qualifying covered in-network care, an applicable annual out-of-pocket maximum can be an important financial protection.

Patients should verify these details directly with their insurance company before a planned procedure.

Heart Surgery Cost With Insurance vs Without Insurance

Consider two patients receiving similar cardiac procedures.

One has an insurance plan with a negotiated hospital rate.

The other is paying without insurance.

Their financial situations may be completely different even at the same hospital.

An insured patient’s responsibility can depend on:

Negotiated rate + deductible + copayment + coinsurance + out-of-pocket maximum.

A self-pay patient should investigate:

Discounted cash price + financial assistance + payment plan + written estimate.

CMS specifically requires applicable hospitals to disclose discounted cash prices alongside other standard charges.

Medicare Coverage for Heart Surgery

Many cardiac patients are Medicare beneficiaries.

Medicare may cover medically necessary inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular services when eligibility and coverage requirements are satisfied.

However, patients can still have deductibles, coinsurance, physician costs, medication expenses, and other financial responsibilities depending on their coverage.

Patients with Medicare Advantage should also verify network and authorization requirements with their specific plan.

Those with Original Medicare should investigate how Medicare, Medigap, Part D, and any other applicable coverage interact.

Cardiac Rehabilitation After Surgery

Heart treatment does not necessarily end when a patient leaves the hospital.

Cardiac rehabilitation can include:

Supervised exercise + cardiovascular education + risk-factor management + nutrition guidance + recovery support.

Patients should ask whether rehabilitation is recommended and how their insurance plan covers it.

Traveling hundreds of miles for surgery can also create practical challenges if extensive follow-up care is required.

How to Choose the Best Heart Surgery Hospital

Instead of choosing based only on a famous hospital name, compare:

Experience with your exact procedure
Surgeon experience
Procedure volume
Risk-adjusted outcomes
STS ratings where applicable
Complication rates
Minimally invasive options
Structural-heart program
ICU and critical-care capabilities
Insurance network
Estimated patient cost
Rehabilitation and follow-up

For complex cases, obtaining a second opinion from another major cardiac center may also help patients understand available treatment options.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the best heart surgery hospitals in the USA?

Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, NewYork-Presbyterian, Cedars-Sinai, and Mount Sinai are major U.S. centers worth investigating. The appropriate hospital depends on the specific cardiac condition and procedure.

Which hospital has strong publicly reported cardiac-surgery outcomes?

Cleveland Clinic currently reports the highest three-star STS rating in multiple categories, including CABG, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve surgery, and multiprocedural cardiac surgery for the applicable reporting periods.

What is the best hospital for bypass surgery?

There is no universal best hospital for every patient. Compare CABG-specific outcomes, surgeon experience, case volume, complications, insurance participation, and the patient’s individual medical needs.

How much does heart surgery cost in the USA?

There is no universal price. Costs vary by procedure, hospital, insurer, negotiated rate, ICU stay, complications, and rehabilitation.

Does health insurance cover heart surgery?

Many medically necessary cardiac procedures can be covered according to the patient’s health plan, but network status, prior authorization, deductibles, coinsurance, exclusions, and other terms can affect coverage.

Is TAVR better than open-heart surgery?

Neither option is universally better. The appropriate approach depends on the patient’s age, anatomy, valve disease, surgical risk, and medical history.

Conclusion

Choosing among the best heart surgery hospitals in the USA should involve much more than looking at a single national ranking.

Leading centers such as Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, NewYork-Presbyterian, Cedars-Sinai, and Mount Sinai offer sophisticated cardiovascular programs, but the strongest hospital for an individual patient depends on the exact diagnosis and procedure.

For patients considering CABG, valve replacement, TAVR, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, aortic surgery, or heart transplantation, procedure-specific experience and outcomes should be central to the decision.

Financial considerations matter as well.

Before scheduling treatment, investigate:

Hospital price + insurance-negotiated rate + network status + prior authorization + deductible + coinsurance + out-of-pocket maximum + rehabilitation coverage.

CMS hospital-price-transparency rules make more pricing information publicly available, but patients should still obtain personalized estimates from both the hospital and insurer whenever possible.

Ultimately, the right heart-surgery hospital is one that combines appropriate surgical expertise, strong outcomes, advanced treatment options, multidisciplinary cardiac care, and financially accessible coverage for the individual patient.

This article provides general educational information and is not medical or insurance advice. Hospital performance, insurance networks, treatment options, and patient eligibility can change. Patients should consult qualified cardiovascular specialists and their insurer before making treatment decisions.

Best Heart Surgery Hospitals in USA: Top Cardiac Centers, Procedures, Costs & Insurance