Dr. Natale's EP proteges

Shannon sent a list of Some EPs trained by Dr. Natale. Thanks for doing that, Shannon. I was interested in Dr. Lakkireddy because he is located closer to me than Dr. Natale is. I was looking at both doctors on Healthgrades. Under treatments, this appears for Dr. Natale:

Ablation for Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias and there is a line starting at High Frequency as related to similar providers.

Nothing for ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias appears for Dr. Lakkireddy.

What should I read into that? Do you put much faith in Healthgrades as a way to rate doctors?

Thoughts are appreciated...

Quote
Pixie
Do you put much faith in Healthgrades as a way to rate doctors?

Almost none. I base that on having looked up the doctors I have direct experience with and finding their ratings totally off the mark.

I'll explain why, but first I think there's a misunderstanding. I took at look at Lakkireddy's rating on healthgrades and he shows very high on the scale of treating supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) compared to similar doctors. Well, afib is a type of SVT, so that explains that. I don't know where healthgrades gets their data on what doctors treat, but you have to be careful because one doctor might use different terminology than another.

Years ago I learned a lot about internet review sites when shopping for a new furnace. What I found was that almost all furnaces suck if you read review sites. Why is that? Because people who get a new furnace and it simply works as intended don't take the time to write reviews. They just get on with life and stay warm. But people who had bad experiences write reviews like crazy, so the end result is all furnaces suck.

The same thing happens with doctor review sites, though kind of in reverse. Patients with good outcomes are so grateful they rush to give great reviews, while those with poor outcomes just go looking for other solutions and don't bother reviewing. And those glowing reviews are often based more on bedside manner, staff friendliness, etc. rather than medical competence.

For example, my first EP couldn't make a durable ablation line if his life depended on it, as proved by his three ablations on me that the second EP couldn't even detect had been done. My pulmonary veins were completely connected as if I'd never had one ablation, never mind three. Nevertheless, that EP gets glowing reviews and a 5-star rating on healthgrades. My favorite review was the patient whose ablation failed but praised him to high heaven for prescribing Tikosyn to solve the failed ablation. (As if he couldn't have done that without doing an ablation first.)

Lakkireddy is a good EP. I recommend ignoring sites like healthgrades. If you use sites like that to make a decision, you'll be rushing to sign up with my first EP.

Actually DHANUNJAYA LAKKIREDDY MD, if this is the correct one, does pretty well, except for CODE: 93657-F: 0. Medicare payments in 2015 from the Wall Street Journal database, check my numbers to make sure:

https://graphics.wsj.com/medicare-billing/#/1023067881

CODE: 93656-F: 64, Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93655-F: 47, Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93613-F: 84, Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93657-F: 0
CODE: 93462-F: 11, Bottom 20% nationally
CODE: 93621-F: 16, Bottom 40% nationally

Compare to Dr Natale:

The corresponding number of procedures performed by Dr Natale for Medicare patients billed only in 2015:
CODE: 93656-F: 130 - Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93655-F: 159 - Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93613-F: 165 - Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93657-F: 101 - Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93462-F: 32 - Top 20% nationally
CODE: 93621-F: 32 - Top 20% nationally

I selected the following procedure codes (but I am no expert) that relate to Afib. Note that CODE 93657-F is probably the most significant for ablations.
CODE: 93656-F: Evaluation and insertion of catheters for recording, pacing, and treatment of abnormal heart rhythm
CODE: 93655-F: Insertion of catheters for treatment of abnormal heart rhythm
CODE: 93613-F: Insertion of catheters for 3D mapping of electrical impulses to heart muscles
CODE: 93657-F: Destruction of tissue of right or left upper heart chamber via catheter for treatment of abnormal heart rhythm (RFI - no cryo)
CODE: 93462-F: Insertion of catheter into left heart for diagnosis
CODE: 93621-F: Insertion of catheters for recording, pacing, and attempted induction of abnormal rhythm in left upper heart