Angioplast-me
 

So I went in for a stress test last month. I had one two years ago with no issue. This time, they found that there might be an issue.

The plan is for me to get a catherterization. If they find an issue, they do the angioplasty and I spend an extra day in the hospital.

My issue is that the specialist is in Delaware and I'm in PA. It turns out the hospital choices are Christiana down in south DE, and Saint Francis, which is nearer to PA. If there is a complication, I will be half a state away from my family.

The issue is that, while Delaware doesn't do medical report cards, their are third party rating agencies. Healthgrades gave St. Francis 1 star instead of the normal 3. So, unless I switch doctors and run around trying to get a better choice, I can be far away from home or wonder at what went in to the hospital only getting one star. It could be that they have a large percentage of elderly patients, inmates, or people in poor health.

Does St. Francis agree with Health Grades? They do when the report is good. Look at this press release for areas of care where they got a good report.

It's a tough call for me. The hospital is not some pit. They do good work in many areas. I'm just not sure about the numbers behind the grade.

Is there anything preventing you from changing to a doctor who has privileges at a more convenient, well-rated hospital? Lots of good heart guys out there.

Yes, but that would delay everything. The practice I'm dealing with is the one who has my history, even though the doctor doing the surgery is not the one who I've seen.

Also, the best hospital for this would probably be Einstein, which is also pretty far. Everyone tells me this procedure is almost routine now.

I've been juggling things around to figure out what's best for me, my family, even my employer. Being closer to home adds to my comfort level. The 1 star hospital rating does not.

Good luck Rich. I'm sorry I don't have any special knowlege for you.

Good luck, Rich.

I would strongly recommend Christiana over St. Francis any day! There is absolutely no comparison. I have personally been to both and St. Francis is as old and outdated as they come. Christiana is a far better facility and all the best Docs are there and its really not that much further away. It certainly isn't in southern DE its about 20 minutes past St. Francis at most. PM me if you want more info.

I wish you the best of luck either way.

Good luck Rich. Let us know how you get on.

The wife and I send our best wishes and good vibes.

That's a tough one, Rich. I wish I had some advice for you; all I can say is that LARGE teaching hospitals in LARGE cities are almost always a better choice than a Nowhere's-ville place. If I have a serious health issue, I go to Cincinnati for care. They are more aggressive, more cutting edge than any Dayton doc or hospital.

Best of luck to you. Prayers.

I have rebooked my surgery to Christiana, which is a much larger hospital.

I concur 1000% Very wise choice, but then I expected nothing less from you.

Having been through this several times with my mom ... ONLY GO FOR THE BEST. Also, you don't want a cath anywhere that they don't have a full cardiothoracic surgical suite.

If at all possible, try to get booked into the Cath Lab at UPenn/Presbyterian.

I recommend Dr. Bradford Lin if you can specify. Awesome man. Phenomenal doctor. He's done my mom's cath twice (out of a total of three or four, we've lost count).

The only downside is that they charge through the nose for parking, but for Philadelphia, it's easy to get to, the campus is a kind of enclosed courtyard so it's hardly like being in the city. The staff were courteous, the facility nice, and everything is top of the line, state of the art, and other encouraging words.

Good luck. My thoughts are with you. I am sure you will come out of it fine.

Thanks for the support, everyone. I have switched to Christiana. Everything appears to be good to go, and I am scheduled in a few weeks.

Hey rich, lemme know when your there and I'll sneak in some burgers & fries and cigars - perhaps even a beer or 2.