Know Any Good Surgeons?
Only a surgical nurse knows who the real 5-star docs are.
T
hat surgeon with
the HHHHH-
rating on the
Top Docs website? We
nurses and techs who
work alongside him in the OR day in and day out know better. Oh boy,
do we ever! We know what the online ratings like surgeonratings.org
and projects.propublica.org/surgeons that are driven by data on sur-
geon performance can't tell you about doctors. Such as:
• Are they respectful of the tissue they're working on — or do they
go in like gangbusters and just start cutting and frying?
• How do they treat their patients at the bedside in pre-op? Do they
protect the dignity and privacy of the unconscious?
• How do they treat the people who work side-by-side with them?
Even if a surgeon has the hands of God, he gets H in my book if he
has a heart of stone.
I have an idea for a surgeon scorecard that would be like an Angie's
List for surgeons. I'd need the input of all my loyal readers in every
hospital, surgery center and physician's office from sea to shining sea.
We'd shoot from the hip and pull no punches when rating docs.
HHHHH for "Dr. Always Gets the Appendix," who works in record
time and makes incisions so small you can barely see them.
H for "Dr. Does This Look Like an Appendix?" who makes multiple
incisions and takes 2 hours just getting into the abdomen to look for
the appendix.
HHHHH for "Dr. Arthritic Knee Cured," who never had an infection
and measures the bone 3 times to correctly cut once. He always has the
same team because they want to work with him.
1 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A U G U S T 2 0 1 7
Even if a surgeon has the hands of God,
he gets H in my book if he has a heart of stone.
Behind Closed Doors
Paula Watkins, RN, CNOR
