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How to Find the Best Open-Heart Surgeon in Your Area

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)

Choosing an open-heart surgeon is a major decision. Surgeons differ in quality, experience and services, so choose your surgeon cautiously and only after doing thorough research. Here are some ways to find the best surgeon in your area.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Ask your friends and relatives about any heart surgeons they know of in your city or nearby. Inquire about their experiences, if any, with those surgeons.

  2. Step 2

    Ask your friends and relatives if they know of local people who have had open-heart surgery done in the past, then contact those people. Ask them about their surgeons and experiences.

  3. Step 3

    Surf online for open-heart surgeons in your area, using the keywords "open-heart surgeon" and your area’s name.

  4. Step 4

    Look for local heart surgeons in the yellow pages and contact them. Check out their credentials, experience, success rate, participation in research and education, and patient satisfaction.

  5. Step 5

    Verify the board certification of any surgeon you are considering.

  6. Step 6

    Ask any other local doctors you may know for their recommendations. Doctors are often well informed about the success (or failure) stories of surgeries happening in their area. Find out their opinion before choosing your surgeon.

  7. Step 7

    Consult as many people as you can before deciding on a surgeon.

Tips & Warnings
  • Find out information about hospitals as well as surgeons. If you reside in U.S., have your surgery in a hospital that is accredited by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality, and it recognizes nearly 18,000 health-care organizations and programs in the U.S.
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