re: #225 Decatur Deb

In the end, our lack of specialized knowledge and language means that even educated people have to take most of science on “faith”. It bothers me that I will never be equipped to rationally choose a brain or heart surgeon. The trick is to develop a strategy for weeding out the more obvious duds.

SteveC’s rule of thumb in selecting a surgeon: Go with experience. The guy who has done 500 procedures is worth a lot more than the one who has done 50.

The surgeon who did my 3rd surgery was a workaholic who averaged 1200 heart surgeries a year… and when they opened me up, scar tissue torn and blood went everywhere. My Cardiologist told me later that Dr. Pacifico was almost in over his head, and any other surgeon would have lost me.

Always go with experience.