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This is my 1st Post, so, I hope I do this correctly. I am about to have valve and maybe some CABG surgery, but, I don't have an understanding of who I can ask questions of to know why my surgeon was selected for me, as well as basic questions like how many similar surgeries my surgeon has done in the last 3 - 6 - 12 months...last 5 years and career. What results patients have had - I see no reviews anywhere. I suspect the elected surgeon is terrific, but, I have extreme concern that my asking questions will alienate me from the surgeon and staff. I have no interest in creating disharmony...it just seems like this sort of info should be made readily available so I don't have to ask the surgeon directly about his background...possibly create hard feelings, etc.. It seems to me the info should be presented by objective, statistical data or from a 3rd party or managment team. Help please. This info must be available somewhere - somehow without causing an upset.
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Welcome to Connect, @johnjms. Preparing for surgery can be so stressful and overwhelming! There's never such thing as too many questions, and educating yourself is one of the best ways to eliminate any anxiety and empower yourself as a patient. The surgeons/doctors/nurses are are there to guide you before, during and after surgery, so please ask your doctor everything that's on your mind until you feel that you understand the whole procedure.
Here are some resources:
– Information from Mayo Clinic about questions to ask your cardiovascular doctor: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mitral-valve-regurgitation/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350183
– Two recommended public search tools that offer patients information about surgeons' previous patient outcomes are SurgeonRatings.org https://www.checkbook.org/surgeonratings/ and Surgeon Scorecard https://projects.propublica.org/surgeons/
One of the indicators of a surgeon's expertise is certification by the American Board of Surgery and active membership in the professional surgical society of their specialty. The American College of Surgeon's website offers a list of professional societies. You may also contact these societies directly for additional information: https://www.facs.org/surgeons/surgical-specialty-societies
I think Mentors @hopeful33250 @predictable might have some thoughts to share with you as they are also familiar with heart issues. I encourage you to also view this discussion on Connect, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bypass-surgery/ where you will meet @tkdunlap @vermontrob @suzy51 and others who've shared their experiences about bypass surgery.
@johnjms, what are your top concerns? Have you asked your cardiologist for recommendations and insights?