received a recommended change to their treatment plan after an expert second opinion
Meyer et al. · The American Journal of Medicine (2015) · n=6,791Independent cardiac surgery second opinions
A second opinion before open heart surgery.
Facing open heart surgery can feel overwhelming. You are not alone. A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist independently review your complete records, confer, and co-sign one clear report for you and your family.
Delivered within 24 hours after required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete.
Real cardiac specialistsMeet your WHITEGLOVE Heart Team
- ✓ Two cardiac specialists
- ✓ Independent by design
- ✓ Records and imaging coordinated for you
Meet your WHITEGLOVE Heart Team
Cardiac surgery and cardiology—working together on your open heart surgery decision.
- Rahul R. Handa, MD, Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery
- Kunal U. Gurav, MD, Cardiology
- Serrie C. Lico, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Farhan S. Ayubi, DO, Vascular Surgery
2cardiac specialists review every case1co-signed written report24 hrafter required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete
When uncertainty is reasonable
Second-guessing?
Get a second opinion.
Open-heart surgery is a high-stakes decision. Procedure-specific volume and experience, the depth of the team around the surgeon, and whether reasonable alternatives were considered can all change the conversation. Another disciplined review is not distrust—it is due diligence.
- Is this the right operation—or is there a reasonable alternative?
- What experience matters for this exact procedure?
- What is my personal risk, and what may the standard models miss?
This 37% finding comes from a multispecialty second-opinion program; it is not specific to open-heart surgery. Published cohort results do not predict any individual outcome.
The time you need. The answers you deserve.
Independent cardiac expertise, centered on your outcome.
Every case is independently reviewed by a U.S.-trained cardiac surgeon and cardiologist, with subspecialty expertise matched to the decision. They review independently of the treating institution and make room for your questions—and your family’s.
Meet the WHITEGLOVEMD Heart TeamWhen the optimal revascularization strategy is unclear, the 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline gives a multidisciplinary Heart Team approach a Class I, B-NR recommendation.
2021 coronary revascularization guidelineThe 2020 ACC/AHA guideline gives evaluation by a Multidisciplinary Heart Valve Team a Class I recommendation for patients with severe valvular heart disease being considered for intervention.
2020 valvular heart disease guideline
Why two specialties matter
The operation—and whether it is the right path.
The cardiac surgeon examines the operation, anatomy, and technical considerations. The cardiologist examines the diagnosis, physiology, medical therapy, and catheter-based alternatives. Then they compare conclusions and co-sign one report.
See how the review works
A patient and family perspective
From terrified to a clear plan.
“My family member needed urgent heart valve surgery, and the referral process dragged on for weeks while we panicked. WHITEGLOVEMD cut through all of it — they reviewed everything, explained it in plain English, and connected us with a top surgeon nearby. We went from terrified to having a clear plan.”
Kevin J.Family member of a heart-valve patient
Why WHITEGLOVEMD
A second opinion built around the decision—not the institution.
Clinical independence matters. So does making the process usable when you are already carrying a frightening diagnosis, a stack of records, and a deadline.
Why patients choose WHITEGLOVEMDIndependent by design
The reviewing physicians are not employed by the hospital or surgeon whose plan you are considering.
Two cardiac specialties
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist review independently, compare conclusions, and co-sign one report.
The records work is coordinated
With your authorization, we help collect and organize the records and imaging the physicians need.
Clarity you can use
You receive a patient-facing written report designed for conversations with your family and treating team.
Nationwide perspective
The right answer is not limited to one hospital.
If another specialist or center may be a better fit, we can help you understand the options and make an introduction when appropriate.
How it works
One clear path—from first message to next decision.
Send a brief message about what you are facing. We call to answer practical questions; then you choose the level of physician access you want. WHITEGLOVEMD coordinates the records and imaging, dual-physician review, report, and consultation.
Explore the complete processTell us what you are facing
Share your name, phone number, and an optional message. A knowledgeable care coordinator will call to understand what you have been told, answer practical questions, and explain the review. The conversation is complimentary and no records are required to begin.
Send us a message
Choose your review; we coordinate the records
Every package begins with the written dual-physician review. After you choose, our records team helps collect and organize the records and imaging needed for your case.
Compare packagesReceive your WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist review independently, confer, and co-sign. Your report is delivered within 24 hours after the required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete.
Talk through what the findings mean
Packages with live physician access give you and your family dedicated time to discuss the report. Tier 4 also adds ongoing Heart Team access through the day of surgery.
WHITEGLOVE Insights™
Your record, turned into a decision-ready picture.
Not a generic explanation of heart disease. Your report maps the diagnoses, anatomy, personalized risk context, reasonable alternatives, unanswered questions, and practical next steps from your own record.
- 2independent physician reviews
- 3surgical-risk models compared when the required data allow
- 1co-signed, source-linked report
Your decision,
organized.
Independent open-heart surgery second opinion
STS surgical risk01EuroSCORE II02AATS guidance03
Patient-specific anatomyYour findings.
Made understandable.Connected to the source record
Made understandable.Connected to the source record
Current clinical picture
The diagnoses, relevant history, and plan already proposed—clearly attributed to the source record.
Guideline mapping
The decision placed beside current guideline classes and the clinical details that make them relevant.
Your surgical risk, in plain language
When the required inputs allow, validated risk estimates—including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk model—are compared with their inputs and limitations made visible.
Your anatomy—not someone else’s
Visual explanations are tied to your imaging, your findings, and your individualized case.
Your options, with the pros and cons
Surgical, minimally invasive, catheter-based, and medical alternatives compared in plain language.
Finding what may have been missed
What is complete, what remains unresolved, and which additional studies are worth discussing with your treating team.
Surgeon and center fit
Procedure-specific public outcomes, experience, geography, and practical considerations when relevant.
Your questions, answered
The questions raised during the consultation, preserved with the Heart Team’s answers.
Practical next steps
A concise path back to the treating team, missing information, and the decision still in front of you.
This educational preview contains no patient data and is not a diagnosis or treatment recommendation.
Conditions we review
Your exact heart-surgery question belongs here.
We review the diagnosis, the proposed operation, reasonable alternatives, personalized risk, and whether the surgeon and center fit the procedure.
Explore all conditions01
Bypass / CABG
Coronary artery bypass decisions, including CABG versus stents.
02Aortic valve / TAVR
Surgical versus catheter-based valve options and timing.
03Mitral valve
Repair versus replacement and the importance of center experience.
04Aorta and aneurysm
Aortic root, ascending aorta, size thresholds, and operative strategy.
05Redo or complex surgery
Higher-complexity cases where anatomy, risk, and center fit matter.
06Is surgery necessary?
A disciplined review of the diagnosis, alternatives, and why now.
Choose your level of physician access
Begin with the same rigorous written review.
Every package includes an independent cardiac surgeon review, an independent cardiologist review, and one co-signed report. Choose written review only—or add the live physician access that fits your decision.
WHITEGLOVE Insights™Written review
Starting at$495
A complete, dual-physician review designed to make the next conversation with your treating team more useful.
Compare review optionsIndependent cardiac surgeon review
Independent cardiologist review
Surgical-risk models compared when the required inputs allow
Co-signed WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report
Within 24 hours after required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers before you decide.
Understand who reviews your case, when the 24-hour clock begins, how records are collected, and what each level of access includes.
Send us a messageIs WHITEGLOVEMD a replacement for my surgeon or cardiologist?
No. WHITEGLOVEMD provides independent educational decision support and medical-record review. Your treating clinicians remain responsible for diagnosis, orders, prescriptions, and ongoing care.
Who reviews my case?
Every case is reviewed by two physicians: a cardiac surgeon and a cardiologist. They review independently, confer, and co-sign the final WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report.
When does the 24-hour turnaround begin?
The turnaround begins after the required records and imaging for your review have been received and confirmed complete. The records team can help obtain them from your hospitals and practices.
How does WHITEGLOVEMD get my medical records and imaging?
After you authorize release, our records team can request the relevant imaging, catheterization reports, echocardiograms, clinical notes, and other records directly from your hospitals and practices. You can also securely upload anything you already have.
What if my records are incomplete?
We identify what is still missing and help coordinate the remaining requests. The clinical review and 24-hour turnaround begin only after the records and imaging required for your case are confirmed complete.
Do I need a referral or need to travel?
No referral is required, and the review is delivered virtually. You can begin from home and choose a written review or an option that includes a live physician consultation.
What is included in the written report?
The co-signed report includes individualized risk-model context when the required inputs allow, guideline-mapped options, an appraisal of the workup, plain-language reasoning, source provenance, and surgeon or center matching when relevant.
What is the difference between the written review and a live consultation?
Every package includes the independent written Heart Team review. Consultation options add live time with one or both reviewing physicians so you and your family can talk through the findings and ask questions directly.
My surgery is already scheduled. Can WHITEGLOVEMD still help?
Often, yes. Start as soon as possible and tell the Heart Team your scheduled date. The team will explain what can be completed within the available time after the required records and imaging are received.
How much does a cardiac surgery second opinion cost?
The independent written Heart Team review starts at $495. You can add a live physician consultation or ongoing concierge support only if you want it.
Which heart procedures can WHITEGLOVEMD review?
Reviews can cover bypass surgery, aortic and mitral valve procedures, aortic surgery, atrial fibrillation surgery, transplant or advanced heart-failure decisions, and other complex cardiac procedures.
What happens after I receive my WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report?
You can take the report back to your treating team, use it to guide a live consultation, or ask us to help place your case with a surgeon or center that better fits the procedure.
Can WHITEGLOVEMD help me reach another surgeon or hospital?
When another specialist or center may be a better fit, we can help you understand the options and make an introduction when appropriate.
What if I have urgent symptoms right now?
WHITEGLOVEMD is not an emergency service. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
As seen on NBC
Why a second opinion matters before open-heart surgery.
Rahul R. Handa, MD joins Ed Bernstein to discuss when a second opinion can change an open-heart surgery decision and what patients and families should ask before moving forward.
Watch the 11-minute conversationNot sure where to begin?
Send us a message.
Tell us what is on your mind. A member of our team will call you back, answer your questions, and help get the right physician conversation moving.
(855) 688-3160