Watch: in my words
How do I choose a surgeon and a hospital?
Should I get a second opinion?
Bypass or stents — and how the heart team decides
New videos are being recorded now. Captions will be included.
Understanding options
Most heart conditions have more than one possible treatment:
- Open surgery — bypass, valve repair or replacement, myectomy. The most durable fix for many conditions, with a longer recovery.
- Catheter procedures — stents, TAVR, edge-to-edge mitral repair, valve-in-valve. Faster recovery; the right choice for some patients, not all.
- Medicines and monitoring — sometimes the best plan is to watch carefully and operate at the right time.
An example of why it matters: in a study of patients under 50 presented to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, those with blockages in all three main coronary arteries had fewer heart attacks and repeat procedures over five years with bypass than with stents, while results were similar for one- or two-vessel disease. That’s why complex cases should be reviewed by a heart team — surgeons, interventional cardiologists, imaging and heart-failure specialists together — so you get the best approach, not just the one a single doctor happens to do.
Choosing a surgeon
Cardiac surgery is one of the few specialties in medicine with publicly reported, independently verified results. Before you choose any program, ask: “What are your published outcomes?”
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons star ratings grade programs from 1 to 3 stars on risk-adjusted results. Most programs receive 2 stars (“as expected”); far fewer receive 3 stars (“better than expected”). Our group at St. Luke’s holds 3 stars for coronary bypass and for aortic valve replacement with bypass. See our public report.
- Healthgrades measures risk-adjusted mortality. St. Luke’s has been one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery every year since 2019.
- Experience with your operation. Ask how many of your specific procedure the surgeon does, and how they approach it — for example, multiple arterial grafting in bypass, or repair rather than replacement for a leaking mitral valve.
Second opinions
If you’ve been told you need heart surgery — or you’re wondering whether your symptoms deserve a closer look — I’m glad to review your case:
- Call our office at (314) 434-3049 and ask for a consultation or second opinion.
- We gather your records, imaging and prior tests — we do the chasing, not you.
- An honest assessment. Our heart team reviews everything and tells you whether surgery is right, whether a less invasive option exists, and what realistic outcomes look like.
- Your decision. Take it wherever you want — to us, to your current doctor, or home to your family.
St. Luke’s is part of the Cleveland Clinic alliance with its Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, so for complex or unusual cases we can tap into some of the deepest cardiac expertise in the world without you leaving Missouri.
Sources for this section: Society of Thoracic Surgeons — bypass vs. stents in patients under 50 (2018) · STS public report — our group at St. Luke’s · St. Luke’s — Heart surgery (STS and Healthgrades ratings) · St. Luke’s — Cleveland Clinic alliance
Common questions
Is it rude to ask my surgeon for their outcomes?
No. Good programs report them publicly and expect the question. If a program can’t answer it, that’s an answer in itself.
What does a 3-star STS rating mean?
The program’s risk-adjusted results were better than the national average with statistical confidence. Most programs receive 2 stars, which is consistent with good performance; 3 stars is the highest rating.
Will a second opinion delay my care?
For most planned operations there is time — surgery is often scheduled days to weeks out. If your situation is urgent, we’ll tell you.
