Leading expert in cardiac surgery, Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, explains how to choose a surgeon by emphasizing the critical importance of a surgeon's specific procedural experience and volume. He advises patients to rely on referrals from their cardiologist or primary doctor, who are often aware of a surgeon's clinical outcomes record. Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, highlights that the best surgeons, who perform hundreds of a specific operation like mitral valve repair, typically operate faster and have significantly fewer complications, leading to superior patient results.
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How to Choose the Best Cardiac Surgeon: A Guide to Experience and Outcomes
Jump To Section
- Importance of Surgeon Experience
- Role of Referring Physicians
- Specific Procedure Volume
- Clinical Outcomes Data
- Mitral Valve Repair Example
- Benefits of Experienced Surgeons
- Finding a Surgeon Conclusion
Importance of Surgeon Experience
The skill of a surgeon is the most crucial factor in determining the success of a surgical operation. According to pioneering cardiac surgeon Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, a surgeon's extensive experience is the primary determinant of quality. Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, states that the best surgeons work more efficiently and have far fewer complications, leading to vastly superior patient outcomes compared to their less-experienced peers.
Role of Referring Physicians
Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, explains that a primary method for how to choose a surgeon is through a patient's referring doctors and cardiologists. These medical professionals have insider knowledge of a surgeon's performance and clinical outcomes record. They are in a unique position to guide patients toward highly skilled surgeons based on a history of successful results, not just the theoretical risk of an operation.
Specific Procedure Volume
A critical factor in choosing a surgeon is confirming their volume in the exact operation you require. Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, emphasizes that a surgeon must have performed many hundreds of the specific procedure to achieve true mastery. This high volume is directly correlated with a lower risk of complications and a higher chance of a successful outcome for the patient.
Clinical Outcomes Data
In the United States, databases are increasingly being generated that contain clinical outcomes data for individual surgeons and hospitals. While this transparency is growing, Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, notes that the presentation and availability of this data can sometimes confuse patients more than it helps. He suggests that the interpretation of this data is often best left to the referring physicians who understand its context.
Mitral Valve Repair Example
Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, uses mitral valve repair surgery as a powerful example of why specific experience matters. A patient sent to a new surgeon who has only performed 5 such operations in their career faces a significantly higher risk. In contrast, a patient referred to a cardiac surgeon who has performed 500 mitral valve repair operations has a dramatically better chance of a correct and successful procedure.
Benefits of Experienced Surgeons
The advantages of selecting a highly experienced surgeon are clear and measurable. As Dr. Cohn outlines, leading surgeons who perform a high volume of specific procedures operate faster. This efficiency often leads to reduced time under anesthesia and less time for potential complications to arise. Furthermore, their extensive experience directly translates to fewer surgical and post-operative complications, ensuring a smoother recovery.
Finding a Surgeon Conclusion
Ultimately, the process of how to choose a cardiac surgeon hinges on research and trusted referrals. Patients should actively discuss surgeon options with their cardiologist, focusing on the surgeon's specific volume and track record with the needed procedure. As Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD, advises, prioritizing a surgeon's demonstrated experience is the most reliable path to a successful surgical outcome.
Full Transcript
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: How to choose a surgeon? The skill of the surgeon is crucial in surgical operation success. How to choose the best surgeon? What is a critical factor in choosing a surgeon? A pioneering cardiac surgeon shares his wisdom on how to choose the best surgeon for any operation.
Professor Lawrence Cohn is a pioneering cardiac surgeon. He gives advice on how to find the best heart surgeon. How to find a great heart surgeon? A surgeon must do many hundreds of the exact operations that the patient needs. Experience is the most important factor in the quality of a surgeon.
Best surgeons work faster and have fewer complications. Leading surgeons perform much better than other surgeons. How to choose a surgeon? How to find a good surgeon?
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: This brings us to a very important question. How can a patient choose a medical specialist? How can a patient choose a surgeon? There is an increasing amount of clinical outcomes data—surgery results—for individual surgeons available in the US.
Other countries perhaps do not have similar data transparency about clinical outcomes. But oftentimes, the method of presentation of the results of the surgery and the availability of these data do not help the patients. Clinical outcomes information confuses patients even more. How should a patient choose a cardiac surgeon?
Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD: I think a lot of choosing a surgeon by patients is done by referring doctors and cardiologists. It's not just about the risk of the operation per se, but how much experience the surgeon has in doing the exact operation that you have to have.
This is particularly true with mitral valve repair surgery. A surgeon needs to have done many operations to become good at mitral valve repair. A cardiologist might send a patient to a new surgeon who has done only five of these surgeries in his life. That is a problem.
But another patient is sent to a cardiac surgeon who has done 500 mitral valve repair operations. Then that patient has a better chance to have the correct operation performed. A lot of doctors know each other's records of clinical outcomes—results of surgery.
Dr. Lawrence Cohn, MD: On the other hand, there are databases that are being generated around our country. They have clinical outcomes data for individual surgeons and hospitals. These databases are going to have clinical outcomes data—surgery results—eventually.
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: How to choose a surgeon? Best surgeons work faster and have fewer complications. How to choose a cardiac surgeon and where to go for heart valve surgery?