Stanford Hospital Named 2025 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center

by Roxanna Van Norman
June 2, 2025

Stanford Health Care earns its sixth Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the Mitral Foundation for its commitment to best practices and high-quality care in mitral valve surgery.

Once again, Stanford Health Care has been awarded the 2025 Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the Mitral Foundation for excellence in mitral valve surgery, marking the sixth consecutive year in receiving this national recognition. The designation reflects Stanford's ongoing commitment to achieving exceptional results in mitral valve repair, guided by a patient-centered approach and supported by evidence-based clinical outcomes.

"Receiving this award reinforces our continued dedication to delivering the highest standards in mitral valve surgery, as well as the trust our patients and referring physicians place in us when making important healthcare decisions," said Joseph Woo, MD, Chair and the Norman E. Shumway Professor in the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. “We are proud to receive this recognition and remain focused on providing world-class care that improves lives every day."

Mitral valve repair is a technically challenging surgical operation. However, for patients with degenerative mitral valve disease, the results can be outstanding and offer improved survival and few long-term complications. The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve repair rather than valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve, as valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications.

Stanford performs a high volume of mitral valve repair surgeries - approximately 200 to 300 cases each year - providing patients with access to a team of specialists renowned for their surgical expertise and positive outcomes. This level of experience has earned Stanford national recognition as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center every year since the program launched in November 2019.

The designation allows patients to identify the nation’s leading hospitals and surgeons specializing in mitral valve repair. Stanford was selected for its continued 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.

Stanford is one of only five medical centers on the West Coast listed in the Mitral Foundation's directory of Mitral Valve Repair Reference Centers. It was the first in the region to receive this designation when the program was introduced.

For more information, visit the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Stanford Health Care Mitral Valve Repair Surgery websites.