Choosing a Hospital & Surgeon
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) surveys hospitals and other care facilities to determine whether they meet the quality standards for accreditation. You can look up a hospital's accreditation status at http://www.qualitycheck.org/.
An important aspect of choosing a hospital and doctor for elective CABG is how often your particular procedure is done. A recent study found that although hospitals that perform a certain procedure more often have better outcomes, there is a wide range of variability.26 If possible, you should try to find out not just the number, but also the outcome of bypass surgeries performed at the hospital you are considering. Even more important than the number of bypass surgeries the hospital performs is how many your surgeon performed. In general, the more often your surgeon performs your specific procedure, the lower your risk. You should look for a hospital that performs at least 500 bypass surgeries per year, and a doctor who performs at least 100.
You should talk to the doctor who referred you for bypass surgery about your options in choosing a surgeon and hospital. Choice of hospital is greatly influenced by your choice of physician, as most doctors are affiliated with one or two hospitals to which they typically admit patients. Also be sure to check with your health plan about which hospitals you can go to for care.
