Is there an accredited resource you can use to find the best possible surgeon, preferable in the NYC/NJ area? I'm not looking for Dr. recommendations from this group. I need to find a website or something to locate which doctors are rated the best in specific surgery. Any information is appreciated.
OT: How to Find the BEST Surgeon?
- Thread starter RU_PAYBACK
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Check the registers at the area Holiday Inn Expresses...
Honestly, some of those "resources" are nothing more than paid advertisements. I don't konw about that specific website, but for example, the NJ Monthly magazine IS a "pay to play" type thing. Want to be listed as the best doctor? Pay up.... Want to be listed among the best attorneys? Pay up...
Honestly, some of those "resources" are nothing more than paid advertisements. I don't konw about that specific website, but for example, the NJ Monthly magazine IS a "pay to play" type thing. Want to be listed as the best doctor? Pay up.... Want to be listed among the best attorneys? Pay up...
I took a quick scan of that site. I'm a physical therapist and looked up hip and knee replacements within 25 miles of my zip code. There were a few doctors on that site who received more than 3 stars I wouldn't recommend to anyone because their outcomes are terrible. Depending on the type of surgery you may be having, I'd ask other healthcare professionals for their opinions on a doctor, research infection rates at the facility you'd be having the procedure at for starters. Good luck.
US News has a ranking of best hospitals,which will also provide a ranking of best places for surgery.
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings
https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings
NJ magazine always has a feature once a year on the top doctors of their specialty throughout the state. They have sub sections by surgical specialty. Rated by other doctors. Not sure just how valid these ratings are.
Also most insurance web sites will show the doctors/surgeons in their networks, with patient reviews. I'd go with the NJ magazine rating first, and then cross match against the Insurance network patient reviews. Also ask other doctors you know personally, who they would recommend if it was their own family member needing the surgery.
Also most insurance web sites will show the doctors/surgeons in their networks, with patient reviews. I'd go with the NJ magazine rating first, and then cross match against the Insurance network patient reviews. Also ask other doctors you know personally, who they would recommend if it was their own family member needing the surgery.
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One place I would start is research team physicians for local professional franchises. Teams are not going to trust just any doctor to perform surgeries on their multi million dollar investments.
https://nflps.org/team-physicians/
https://nflps.org/team-physicians/
Check out the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. They are reputed to have some of the best ortho surgeons in the world. Just be aware that, last time I checked, many don't take any kind of insurance at all.
So they're supposedly very good. But also very expensive.
I think the NJ Magazine ranking is done by separate group and they cover multiple states. For routine stuff, it's OK to look local. For anything big, find out who the best hospitals are and head there. From NJ, chances are you can find one of the top 3 in either NYC or Philly.
I just filled out a form with them. I don't think they take my insurance, but we'll see..
I've been told by a few people in the medical field when looking for a surgeon, ask the nurses who work with them.
Get 3 surgeons in a room.
Stab each of them in the neck.
The one who can repair his own carotid artery before he bleeds out gets the job.
Stab each of them in the neck.
The one who can repair his own carotid artery before he bleeds out gets the job.
The Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan has an excellent reputation. I don't think much of NJ magazine, at least from what I know of their South Jersey ratings. One thing to ask is, "how often do you do this surgery?" The more, the better; practice tends to make perfect. That's something that makes the Hospital for Special Surgery so good.
Hopefully at least one is a vascular sugeon. He/she would be the best bet to win that bloody duel.
If that is your route, and I feel it is a good one, speak with the charge nurses and the nurse manager of the department where you would be recovering. They typically have been around the block the most and can offer some great insight and recommendations.
I was gonna take one of my kid's there, but the only knee specialist that took any insurance at all was very young. So, while he might have been good, I figured he wasn't particularly experienced.
My kid had torn his PCL, I think it was. Had taken him to a local ortho who admitted to being inexperienced with PCL's, figuring anybody can order an MRI. But he didn't come across as particularly competent to me. And he had very long waits.
So after the MRI and another follow-up visit with that guy, I figured we'd get a second opinion about the knee. I looked around a bit and found that Jet's head team physician was in my plan.
Took my kid to that guy and we really liked him, plus he had tons of experience. He wound up not recommending surgery, sent my kid to some intensive Physical Therapy, and told him when he was feeling up to it, he could keep playing sports and didn't need to bother with the expensive knee brace the local ortho had told us to buy just to walk around. Completely different story from the first guy.
You could check him out, if HFSS doesn't work out. His name's Kenneth Montgomery, with Tri-County Orthopedics. Can't give a recommendation as to his surgical skill. But the overall experience was a good one.
I like surgeons that don't always recommend surgery. I've experienced both kinds over the years.
After I tore my AC joint in my shoulder, went to an ortho who did an MRI, confirmed the AC joint tear, noted I had a torn rotator cuff (old injury I never had fixed), and said a lot of times, people don't repair torn AC joints. But, he said the rotator cuff should get repaired.
So he tells me he has an opening the next morning at 7am. I asked him, to repair the rotator cuff, the AC joint, or both? He said, ah, we can figure it all out in the morning, before the surgery.
WTF? I walked out and didn't go back. "Figure it all out in the morning". [roll]
HSS in NYC like others have said. Had my wrist done there by a hand surgeon Top guy in the country doing pro athletes and teams. He took a call from a well known pro golfer while examining me. Pompous and vain, huge ego.....but great job. I had a rare condition he specialized in Kienbochs disease stage three so he was eager to have at it.
I'm a nurse, spent over 20 years working in ORs. Find a nurse or other staff level medical professional and ask their opinion. The guy your primary refers you to is likely his golf buddy or they have an "agreement". Those magazine articles on "the best doctor" are almost all paid promotions. You want to talk to the people that take care of the patients after the fact. They know who is good and who has good results and who doesn't.
Ask your friends & family who have had similar surgeries. Who had a good outcome? Who didn't?
That said, University Orthopedics has a great team of docs and are the ortho docs for RU, Princeton, & a bunch of other HS & colleges in the area. HSS is excellent as well.
Also, if you have a choice between a hospital & a surgery center.. Pick the surgery center.
Ask your friends & family who have had similar surgeries. Who had a good outcome? Who didn't?
That said, University Orthopedics has a great team of docs and are the ortho docs for RU, Princeton, & a bunch of other HS & colleges in the area. HSS is excellent as well.
Also, if you have a choice between a hospital & a surgery center.. Pick the surgery center.
HSS is an excellent hospital with excellent surgeons. I do some of my continuing education there to keep up with the latest research. That being said, there are many excellent surgeons in this area, as many trained under the HSS docs.
In my opinion, the area of focus when choosing a doctor should be outcomes. Some doctors have a crappy bedside manner, but are excellent surgeons, and vice versa. I always tell my patients that are considering an orthopedic surgery to focus on outcomes. And no disrespect to the OR staff, but a PT sees hundreds of surgeries a year, and works with the patient from a couple of days post op through to the end. They can give you a very good idea on the successes of surgeons.
In my opinion, the area of focus when choosing a doctor should be outcomes. Some doctors have a crappy bedside manner, but are excellent surgeons, and vice versa. I always tell my patients that are considering an orthopedic surgery to focus on outcomes. And no disrespect to the OR staff, but a PT sees hundreds of surgeries a year, and works with the patient from a couple of days post op through to the end. They can give you a very good idea on the successes of surgeons.
Some might say you're biased by being at a surgery center, but it has seemed to me over the years that surgery centers are much better with the many patients who don't need to be kept overnight. Surgery centers specialize in the needs of these patients. I have to say, though, that I have also had good experiences with outpatient surgery at Temple Hospital, but I don't know how typical that is.
That's a very good point. A PT is in a great position to observe an awful lot of surgical outcomes, and over a much longer period than the OR or recovery staff at a hospital or surgical facility.
I wonder, though, how many actually pay enough attention to the doctor's name? I imagine they will take note of who performed bad outcomes - patients whose recoveries seems to take longer than usual, are more painful than usual, or who have larger scars, etc. Especially if it happens more than once.
But I also imagine that, in normal circumstances, PT's are typically more focused on the driver for the PT (the type of surgery), along with any specifics from the doctor's PT prescription, than they are in the doctor's name. Especially in NJ where there are so many patients and so many doctors.
Will a PT remember enough about any doctor, absent any unusual doctor-driven complications, to differentiate good from great outcomes?
Timely thread. Had two screws put into my left foot yesterday and recouping at home now. Two years ago had a tendon reattached in my right arm by drilling a hole through the bone and putting the tendon through and putting a button on the back side. Had a total right shoulder replacement 8 years ago. So far so good. When they were wheeling me into surgery yesterday they told me Thursday and Friday's were surgery days with 34 operating rooms. Dr. Levine for shoulder and tendon, Dr. Greisberg for foot. Columbia Presbyterian 168th st.
The Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC has an outstanding reputation. Any orthopedic surgeon with admitting privileges must be good. I live in Boston and any ortho accredited with either MGH or New England Baptist would be outstanding.
One would get that impression. :Wink: The shoulder was football and leading a very physical outdoor life style, it just wore out. The tendon was from lifting something too heavy. The foot happened when I was chasing our 10 month old Golden Retriever. I think CPH is ranked # 5 in the nation for what that is worth. When they replaced my shoulder they cut the bone off and left the tendon(s) attached instead of cutting the tendons. After the implant they glued and wired the bone back in place so the tendon didn't have to heal.
Never chase a dog. They run faster than humans do. Instead, you must teach a puppy "stop" and "come" commands. Nevertheless, I am very sorry about all of your injuries.
Going by the rep of the facility is a nice place to start, BUT don't allow them to walk over you without YOUR consent and knowledge. How do you get knowledge ? Ask questions, if you don't like the answers ask more questions of someone else with the knowledge you are searching for.
Columbia Presbyterian; Mother got Hep C there from bad blood transfusion. ( Freeze your blood if a transfusion is necessary.)
Einstein in Philly; (US News Top List). Mad Dog transferred there after Stony Brook emergency valve replacement for rehab. Meet Hosp Administrator and all is ok. Head home and get call from Mad Dog, "Dad they're going to amputate my legs." I turn around, Mach 2 back there. Admin had no idea and immediately had Surgeon replaced. I personally interview new guy. Get his bio, he talks to Mad Dog, explains 2 week treatment plan and expected outcome. 2 weeks later he amputates all his toes at various joints, but he can walk.
Get out of hospitals as fast as possible. Same day surgical centers for normal, meatball procedures is the way to go, with the BEST person you can get. Stay away from the Oxeys for pain, too hard to wean off and weren't originally designed for pain, unless it's hospice pain issues.
Columbia Presbyterian; Mother got Hep C there from bad blood transfusion. ( Freeze your blood if a transfusion is necessary.)
Einstein in Philly; (US News Top List). Mad Dog transferred there after Stony Brook emergency valve replacement for rehab. Meet Hosp Administrator and all is ok. Head home and get call from Mad Dog, "Dad they're going to amputate my legs." I turn around, Mach 2 back there. Admin had no idea and immediately had Surgeon replaced. I personally interview new guy. Get his bio, he talks to Mad Dog, explains 2 week treatment plan and expected outcome. 2 weeks later he amputates all his toes at various joints, but he can walk.
Get out of hospitals as fast as possible. Same day surgical centers for normal, meatball procedures is the way to go, with the BEST person you can get. Stay away from the Oxeys for pain, too hard to wean off and weren't originally designed for pain, unless it's hospice pain issues.
Check out Dr Cox in Wayne if that isn’t too far. Head of Ortho at St Joseph’s in Patterson. His team worked a miracle on one of my sons after he had a work accident that trapped him between Two forklifts...
It was rough for a while as he had also developed compartmentalized syndrome. Anyone that doesn’t know what that is, just be happy you don’t.
Dr Cox’s team did an amazing job not only with the surgery but also care with with their stitching him up where he didn’t need skin grafting.
Still a lot of pain for him and nerve damage but they saved his leg with minimal damage.
Working with heavy equipment is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes it's the right doctor at the right hospital at the right time that makes all the difference. Kudos to your son.
There's no single source to find out who is the "best" because it is largely subjective. Even the best, most experienced surgeons and best hospitals/surgicenters occasionally have mediocre results and those patients would rate the doctor or facility poorly. Magazine ratings such as NJ Monthly are total BS. A survey is sent out to doctors to "recommend' other doctors. Their partners and buddies are the ones listed. That gets you a listing in the magazine. The big photos and articles are paid advertisements by those doctors/groups--same for their best lawyer and best dentist issues.
Try getting recommendations from peopel you know who have been there, and possibly your own trusted physician. Definitely seek a second opinion and go with who makes you feel comfortable in their hands.
Best of luck with the surgery.
Try getting recommendations from peopel you know who have been there, and possibly your own trusted physician. Definitely seek a second opinion and go with who makes you feel comfortable in their hands.
Best of luck with the surgery.
It is. I've been going there for so long just drawing on muscle memory. My aunt was a nurse there 50-80's. My mother had heart surgery there in the 90's. My son had surgery there 5 years ago. 3 generations of great health care from nyp.
Actually- we had to search out the best. Son was working Hunts Point Bronx and was brought to Lincoln. They are great with initial trauma(you know, gunshot and baseball bat wounds) but not so much for care or follow up.my wife slept there for 3 days with him before we got him transferred.
First thing I did was reach out to someone I actually met on here who is very well respected and connected in the medical world, who I know works with orthopedic surgeons and also works with professional athletes. He made the recommendation and introduction.
I can never thank him enough. Life changer for my son.
So- best advice, seek it from someone you trust that is in or near that field. And for ortho- find someone that works with professional athletes. HSS is the best in the world but they don’t accept everyone and are costly, but many other great options.
