Allegheny Health Network Earns Prestigious Three-Star Rating for Lung Cancer Resection Surgery from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Allegheny Health Network (AHN)’s Allegheny General (AGH) and Forbes hospitals have earned distinguished three-star ratings from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD) for their lung cancer resection surgery program. The award is a top honor in the field of lung cancer surgery, making AHN Forbes and AGH the highest-ranked programs in Pennsylvania, and placing AHN among just 27 centers in the United States to receive the three-star designation.

Evaluated every six months, the network has received the three-star designation consecutively for 18 months.

“Our use of innovative, minimally-invasive techniques to treat lung cancer, paired with our remarkable clinical care teams, have once again earned us top honors from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons,” said Benny Weksler, MD, System Director of Thoracic Surgery at AHN. “Public reporting of STS rankings empowers patients to educate themselves on how their local lung surgery programs perform, and we’re beyond proud of our proven track record of the best possible patient outcomes and clinical excellence throughout Western Pennsylvania.”

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of U.S. and Canadian thoracic surgery programs. The star ratings are derived by testing whether the participant’s scores on quality outcomes are significantly different from the overall STS average for resection for lung cancer performed by other GTSD participants.

“On behalf of the entire Cardiovascular and Thoracic Institute at AHN, we want to congratulate Dr. Weksler and the team of skilled clinicians that make this achievement all possible,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, Chair of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute and System Chair of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. “Their strategic multidisciplinary approach, advocacy for early detection and commitment to pioneering new medical advancements results in remarkable outcomes for lung cancer patients and their families, allowing them to return to their activities sooner with a better quality of life.”

Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, and cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer linked to roughly 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths.

Resection surgery is a common treatment for lung cancer, with treatment regiments also often including chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation therapy. Types of resection surgeries may include lobectomy, segmentectomy, and wedge resection, depending on the size and location of the tumor.

At AHN and under the direction of Dr. Weksler, patients have access to a wide range of surgical therapies and detection approaches many of which are minimally invasive and assisted by the latest robotic technologies.

In October 2020, AHN announced it was the first healthcare provider in the Pittsburgh area to offer the Ion robotic lung biopsy system, an innovative new technology that helps physicians diagnose cancer at its earliest stages, when it is most curable. If patients are diagnosed and meet the appropriate criteria, they may also qualify for a da Vinci robot-assisted, minimally-invasive resection. This less invasive approach allows more than 95 percent of patients to return home in less than three days.

“Although AHN is known for its innovative therapies and advanced technology in surgical applications, it’s critical to emphasize that our network also collectively recognizes that adhering to consistent screenings and early detection remains critically important,” continued Dr. Weksler. “Approximately 80% of people who get screened and found to have lung cancer early can be cured.”

In its commitment to early detection, AHN hosts numerous free cancer screening events throughout the year which include lung cancer screenings for those aged between 50-80 years with a prior history of smoking. The most recent event was held in Monroeville last month.

According to the latest data from the American Lung Association, the rate of new lung cancer cases in Pennsylvania is significantly higher than the national rate and less than 10 percent of those considered to be high-risk were screened in 2022. 

For more information on AHN visit ahn.org and to view a full list of all STS-ranked surgical programs, visit publicreporting.sts.org/gtsd.

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 About the Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, multiple employed physician organizations, home and community based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 22,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.