Comments on: 52% Less Mortality At Top-Rated Hospitals?

By: Adam Pick

Adam Pick — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:03:33 +0000

Hi Susan,

You can check our Heart Valve Surgeon Database for top surgeons at Duke by clicking here:

http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/surgeon-database.php

If you search in North Carolina, I believe you will find what you are looking for.

Keep on tickin!

Adam

By: Susan Ramey

Susan Ramey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:07:21 +0000

Dear Adam, I’m going to have an aortic valve replacement asap. Would you know of any top cardiothoric surgeons at Duke Univ. Hosp., Durham, NC that you could recomend?

Thanks so much.

Sue

By: John O'Neill

John O'Neill — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:24:04 +0000

I checked the US News and World Report for hospitals on the internet, where I found out that the Mayo Clinic was rated number two and the Cleveland Clinic was rated number one. A couple of the hospitals I originally considered were not even in the top fifty. The Mayo Clinic is only a three hour drive from our farm. Now six months after my valve replacement, anerism repair, by-pas and a very uneventfull recovery I have to agree, for me, Mayo is the best.
I have often wondered though about the acuracy of third party ratings and if their criteria is pertinant to specific procedures.
Does anyone know of any other ranking systems for hospitals and clinics?
Thanks again
John O’Neill

By: Toni Gallagher

Toni Gallagher — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:59:18 +0000

Dear Adam,
Do you have any feedback about Australian hospitals? I am headed for St Vincent’s Private in Sydney for a bicuspid valve/ascending aorta/arch replacement, with the cardiothoracic surgeon being Dr Alan Farnsworth. Have you heard about either the hospital or doctor?
Thank you for the book and this great blog.
Toni

By: Randy Heimerl

Randy Heimerl — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:51:34 +0000

Lori,
Stop and think of the millions of people that die every year that don’t get a chance to make a choice of what hospital to go to and what doctor they want to see. They never get diagnosed or when they do it’s too late. This would be reduced dramatically if everyone could obtain health care at a reasi\onable rate.
Randy

By: Tom Frost

Tom Frost — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:40:10 +0000

Ok, where do I go online to view this list? I would love to see if any hospitals in the Phoenix Metro area are on it. I’m hoping that the Arizona Heart Hospital is on it. It is associated with the Arizona Heart Institute, where my cardiologist is the #2 man at.

By: Lori Williams

Lori Williams — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:19:56 +0000

I agree with Adam. Choosing a hospital and a surgeon is very important. I would not want to leave this decision to Washington DC in the future and hope that we retain the ability to decide for ourselves. If things continue to move forward, all the research in the world won’t do us a world of good if these types of decisions will be made by others.

By: Shelby Hudgens

Shelby Hudgens — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:59:04 +0000

Back when I was researching my options for the RP, I noticed this statistic. It played a very real role in where I decided to go, because like you noted, the top hospitals generally attract the top surgeons. Fortunately for me I found both in the same place.

-Shelby