Can't make a dent in Rochester

Following up on my previous post, I am doing my due diligence in finding an excellent EP to perform my ablation. I have contacted 3 doctor's offices, and am sending them my records. But I am closer to Rochester, MN than any of those.

Since Mayo in Rochester has the worldwide reputation, I wanted to take one last look there. But their website is poor in my opinion. (Shouldn't such an excellent operation also have an excellent website?) I cannot find a way to filter doctors out to get to the ones who specialize in ablations for afib. I am looking at a wall of over 80 cardiologists.

Someone said US News and World Report is a good resource. But the searches and filters don't work properly there, either. The results take me all over the country, and include such things as joint replacement specialists. Not to mention the distracting ads that make it hard to focus.

Maybe I am just tired and should try again tomorrow. I am a little surprised that no one on this site has chimed in with their experience at the Mayo Clinic; specifically as it pertains to afib.

I liked the suggestion of considering the presenters at the Left Atrial Appendage conference. I was surprised that none of these were from Mayo Rochester. So, apparently Mayo Cardiology stands apart from the whole rest of the USA in the Afib field. That was unexpected, and I am trying to make sense of it. I definitely don't want to make a call to the general number in the Cardiology department there and take pot luck with who they give me.

Lastly, I had one bad experience at Mayo in Rochester when I took my mother there for a shoulder issue many years ago. She had an early morning appointment. We had to wait several hours, and the receptionist acted like I was way out of line when I politely asked if there was some mistake. The impression I got was that everyone one is given the same 7 am appointment time, and they just called them up from the waiting room at the doctor's convenience. (There were at least three tables with HUGE puzzles for the patients to work on for entertainment while they were held in this purgatory.) So that did not impress me as a feature of an excellent culture.

In fairness, Mayo clinic extended the life of a friend of mine with "incurable" cancer by 15 years. He gave the doctor there full credit for exceptional care. With that kind of results, maybe they think it is nit-picking to worry about how much time one has to spend in the waiting room.

Although I think Mayo is an excellent institution and I would go there for most things, I've never been impressed with their electrophysiology. I don't think they're the best.

Douglas Packer MD was an EP at Mayo Clinic Rochester that I contacted several years ago when I needed a new EP. I learned of him through the annual STOP AFIB conference.
He was the Director of the Heart Rhythm Services and Director of the Translational Electrophysiology Research Laboratory. He is the former president of the Heart Rhythm Society, and a member of their Board of Trustees. Unfortunately it appears that after many years at Mayo, he left and is now at Intermountain Medical Center. I live in the MidWest and I agree with Carey that I would now look outside of Mayo Clinic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2025 04:52PM by Pixie.

Thanks for the replies. Quite surprised that Mayo doesn't seem to be near the top in this category.

I had a PFA 3 years ago, I had a great experience. I would highly recommend Mayo Rochester.

Any advice on how to choose an EP from the dozens available in Rochester?