Castle Connolly Top Doctors

I have seen it mentioned several times on this site that when looking for an EP we should make sure that it is a "Castle Connelly Top Doctor." I was poking around online and I came across this article, and would appreciate your thoughts.

[www.propublica.org]

Thanks

Doesn't surprise me a bit. I've always considered the various doctor ranking things worthless.

But did you really see that advice to ensure your EP is listed on Castle Connelly here?

geez Carey....I thought it was on this site but I have been following several and perhaps I was wrong. If so, my sincere apologies.
BN

No need to apologize. I did a search on the word "castle" and found several threads that mention Castle Connelly, so maybe you did see it here. But all of the threads I looked at have one or more people responding that being listed by Castle Connelly (or any doctor ratings site) isn't worth much.

This organization does not endorse Castle Connelly or any other doctor ratings site. My personal opinion is they're next to useless, and maybe worse than useless.

Our general stance is you pick an EP based on experience and training. If you're looking only for medical management of your afib, then almost any board certified EP who's been practicing a few years will probably do just fine. (An EP board certification is critical. You should never seek treatment from a general cardiologist.) But if you're considering an ablation, then there are three vitally important factors you need to consider: experience, experience, and experience. The number of afib ablations they've done in their career and the number they currently do per year is of paramount importance. Also, how many the center does is important too. Ablations aren't things that should be done in small community hospitals. You want a large medical center that does hundreds of afib ablations per year, and an EP who has done many hundreds at a bare minimum, preferably thousands. It's like brain surgery in that it's a delicate mix of training, experience, and manual skills. Who do you want taking that tumor out of your head? The guy who does it a dozen times per year or the guy who does it a dozen times per month?

Quote
bneedell
I have seen it mentioned several times on this site that when looking for an EP we should make sure that it is a "Castle Connelly Top Doctor." I was poking around online and I came across this article, and would appreciate your thoughts.

[www.propublica.org]

Thanks

Not sure this is what you may be referring to. It was in a thread that ran about three months ago. Sorry I do not know how to link other threads.


“ Maybe a bit off track maybe not but….I would not place too much credence in any of the Best Doctor/Top Doctor Awards you may see or hear about without doing serious research. The link below is one of many you will find about these “awards.” I linked this one as it specifically mentions Castle Connolly. “

[abcnews.go.com]


The above is from a previous post of mine some time ago. Sorry I don’t know how to link it. IMO, most “Top Doctor” awards should be viewed with some degree of skepticism. Do your due diligence.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2022 11:29PM by Mark.

I consulted with a EP Doc rated top in Castle. Had several meetings. I was already in the process of going for an ablation when he literally stopped the procedure (he had not yet inserted the cath leads) and told me he did not feel comfortable doing the procedure after seeing the leads tracing on the monitor because it was too multi focal for him to ablate. Very disappointing to say the least. Experience with complex cases is a must!!

Wow, that was kind of a major screwup on his part. He got a whole lab team assembled, occupied a lab schedule slot, caused you to spend a night fasting and probably stopping some meds, and then just called it off at the very last moment all because he didn't examine your ECGs carefully enough in advance. I guess I'll give him credit for admitting his limitations and not just doing the procedure anyway, but that was a big mistake. It probably cost the hospital thousands and it cost him a patient.

I agree. I sent through all that prep for nothing. He told me - while I was in the lab that I had multi focal places where he saw PAC and PVC. Is being in the lab the only place that can determine this issue. I am still somewhat confused by his explanation. I have had two ablations in the past, perhaps he felt too risky to try and do another? He did lose a patient.

His job as an EP is to determine what is going on, and if he has the capacity, to deal with it if he agrees to perform the procedure for you. It seems as if he fulfilled that obligation to you. He has done no harm, although he and you are undoubtedly disappointed that what you have is beyond his ability, or maybe only beyond what he was prepared to do at the time for any number of reasons. And you could debate that he did harm by unnecessarily exposing you to risk, to anxiety, to stress, and perhaps to a lost opportunity had it been another place with another EP.

It's time to go shopping for a more capacious EP...in my view. I do agree that he/she could have done more to determine what he was up against before everything he/she subjected you and his team to. It won't be a salutary experience for all his gathered team to have listened to what he decided about you...and him.