Get Started
Free Guide

5 Questions to Ask
Your Cardiac Surgeon

Most cardiac surgery patients walk into their consultation without knowing what to ask. These five evidence-based questions can change the conversation — and potentially change your outcome.

Written by cardiac surgeons
Evidence-based
Free, no commitment

Get the free guide

Delivered instantly to your inbox.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What's in the guide.

1

What is my STS Predicted Risk of Mortality?

The single most important number in cardiac surgery — and most patients never see it.

2

How many of these procedures do you perform per year?

Surgical volume is one of the strongest predictors of outcome.

3

What are my alternatives to surgery?

TAVR, MitraClip, PCI, medical management — options your surgeon may not mention.

4

What is your complication rate for this procedure?

Mortality, stroke, kidney injury, reoperation — the numbers that matter beyond survival.

5

Has this case been discussed by a Heart Team?

ACC/AHA guidelines mandate multidisciplinary review for complex cardiac decisions.

Why these questions matter.

30%
of surgical plans change after a second opinion
2x
mortality difference between high and low-volume centers
40%
of patients don't know their risk score before surgery

Ready for more than questions?

Get a dual-physician Heart Team review with triple risk scoring, guideline mapping, and surgeon matching.

View Packages Free Risk Calculator