My surgeon is a single practitioner so I don't have to deal with the awful support telephone systems that don't give support (e.g., my urologist group telephone support is so bad that I just drive over to the office when I need to get support).

I was chatting with him a few days ago and we discussed the idea of the best approach to surgery and the benefit of using a surgeon who is very very experienced in a particular approach. He believes, as do I, that the experience is the most important requirement. Finding someone who has done thousands, or at least hundreds, of these procedures successfully is the best approach.

The best surgeons also are not protective of their client base. In the same discussion I was speaking of a friend of mine who is getting a "Jiffy Knee" replacement in December. He asked who the surgeon is and when I told him he said that this surgeon is excellent. He is not afraid of losing clients to other surgeons.

Essentially there are a few variables: skill, approach, location and random negative events. The more you can reduce or eliminate bad outcomes, the better your chances of having a successful surgery and final result.