Do I need heart surgery now?
Understand the documented reason for the proposed operation, whether timing matters, and which findings drive the decision.
Your Incision Should Be Your Decision™
Heart surgery second opinion
Get an independent second opinion before you consent to open-heart surgery.
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist independently review the records and imaging required for your case, confer, and co-sign one patient-facing report.
Free to begin, entirely online: answer a few questions to see if a second opinion fits your case—the co-signed two-physician report follows within 24 hours once required records are complete. What happens next: A member of our team will call within 2 business hours. During business hours, a same-day conversation with a cardiac surgeon or cardiologist may be arranged only when clinically appropriate and a physician is available.
- 2
- independent physician reviews
- 1
- co-signed written report
- 24 hr
- only after all required records and imaging are received and confirmed complete
No referral or travel required. With your authorization, the records team can help obtain what is needed. The written review includes both physician reviews and the co-signed written report; it does not include a live physician consultation. A live reviewing-physician consultation can be added. Pricing is shared during your complimentary discovery call.
Case-specific reviewHeart surgery
One operation. Two independent clinical perspectives. One decision that stays yours.
Message Us about my decisionOne clear way to begin
You do not need every record—or the right medical words—to begin.
Tell us which heart operation was recommended, what is scheduled, and which part of the decision you want another team to examine.
No referral · no travel · no obligation to purchase- 01
Tell us what you were told
A sentence is enough. Include what was recommended, what is scheduled, and what still feels unresolved.
- 02
We identify what the case needs
A member of the team helps determine which records and images matter and can help with retrieval after authorization.
- 03
Choose the support that fits
The written review always includes a cardiac surgeon, a cardiologist, and one co-signed report. Live physician time is optional.
The decision in front of you
A useful second opinion answers more than “yes” or “no.”
It can confirm the current plan, clarify an alternative, or identify a question worth taking back to the clinicians who know you and will provide your care.
Are there reasonable alternatives?
Compare surgical, minimally invasive, catheter-based, medical, and monitoring paths when they apply to your case.
What is my individual risk?
Place validated risk models beside the clinical details, missing inputs, and limitations that a score alone cannot explain.
Is this the right setting?
Consider procedure-specific experience, public outcomes, geography, and practical fit when surgeon or center choice matters.
WHITEGLOVE Heart Team
The operating-room view and the cardiology view—on the same reviewed record set.
Every service level includes both independent reviews and both physician signatures. The physicians confer before the report is finalized.
Cardiac surgery
Rahul R. Handa, MD
Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon · Founder & CEO
View Dr. Handa’s profileWHITEGLOVE Insights™Independent reads.
One clinical conference.
One co-signed report.
One clinical conference.
One co-signed report.
Cardiology
Sandeep M. Patel, MD
Structural and interventional cardiologist · Chief of Cardiology
View Dr. Patel’s profileSee each physician’s training, board certifications where verified, and external professional profiles.
Meet the entire WHITEGLOVE Heart TeamWhat can be reviewed
A second opinion tailored to the operation you are facing.
The review begins with your records and the exact recommendation in front of you—not a generic procedure summary.
01
Coronary bypass (CABG)
Bypass versus catheter-based treatment or medical therapy; targets, conduits, timing, and operative plan.
02Aortic valve surgery
SAVR versus TAVR, valve choice, timing, anatomy, and the implications of age and future procedures.
03Mitral valve surgery
Repair versus replacement, surgical versus transcatheter options, timing, and repairability.
04Aortic aneurysm surgery
Size, growth, anatomy, operative thresholds, surgical approach, and the right care setting.
05Redo heart surgery
Reoperative risk, alternative approaches, and the experience needed for a more complex operation.
06Combined procedures
Whether valve, bypass, aortic, or rhythm procedures belong in one operation—and what each adds.
WHITEGLOVE Insights™
Every page should help move the decision forward.
The report is written for patients and families, but grounded in the required records and imaging, current evidence, and two physician reviews.
Explore a sample reportOne case-specific decision map
Your findings.
Made understandable.
01What your records show
02How the proposed plan fits
03Alternatives and trade-offs
04Questions for the next visit
Cardiac surgeonCardiologist
The plan already proposed
Your diagnoses, relevant history, test findings, and treating team’s plan—clearly attributed to the source record.
Guideline context
The decision placed beside current guideline recommendations and the case details that make them relevant.
Surgical risk in context
The current procedure-appropriate STS ACSD estimate is considered when applicable, with the documented inputs and model limitations made visible.
Your anatomy—not generic anatomy
Patient-facing explanations connect your imaging and findings to the decision in front of you.
Options, benefits, and trade-offs
Reasonable surgical, catheter-based, minimally invasive, medical, and monitoring paths compared in plain language.
What may still be missing
A practical view of unresolved questions, incomplete testing, and topics to discuss with your treating clinicians.
Surgeon and center context
Procedure-specific public outcomes, experience, geography, and practical considerations when relevant.
Your next conversation
Questions to ask, information to bring back, and a concise plan for the next decision point.
How it works
From scattered records to a clearer next step.
The complete-record milestone matters: the 24-hour written-review clock starts only after the records required for your case have been received and confirmed.
- 01
Message us about the operation
Tell us what you were advised to have, what is already scheduled, and what still feels unclear. No referral is required.
- 02
We help assemble the required record set
Upload what you have or authorize the records team to help gather the imaging, reports, notes, labs, and recommendations needed for the review.
- 03
Two physicians review independently
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist review the same required record set from their respective clinical perspectives, then confer.
- 04
Receive one co-signed report
Your WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report is delivered within 24 hours after the records required for the review are complete.
Evidence, with its limits visible
Guidelines and risk models inform the review. Physicians interpret them.
ACC/AHA/SCAICoronary revascularization guidance and multidisciplinary Heart Team decision-makingACC/AHAValvular heart disease guidance and multidisciplinary valve evaluationACC/AHAAortic disease guidance for surgical thresholds and shared decision-makingSociety of Thoracic SurgeonsAdult Cardiac Surgery Database operative risk calculator
The sources shown are representative, not a complete list for every operation. Guidelines and risk models inform—but do not replace—case-specific physician judgment. Model estimates do not predict an individual outcome with certainty.
Heart surgery second opinion FAQ
Questions patients and families ask first.
How much does a heart surgery second opinion cost?+
After your complimentary conversation, we email the package we recommend, what it includes, and the secure next step. Every option — from the written WHITEGLOVE Insights™ review to Consult, Heart Team, and Concierge — includes independent review by a cardiac surgeon and cardiologist and a co-signed written report. There is no cost to talk to us.
Who reviews my heart surgery case?+
A cardiac surgeon and cardiologist independently review the same records and imaging required for your case, then confer and co-sign one WHITEGLOVE Insights™ report. Their two perspectives are included at every service level.
When does the 24-hour turnaround begin?+
The 24-hour turnaround begins after the records required for your review have been received and confirmed complete. Time spent requesting or collecting records is outside that 24-hour window.
What records are needed for a heart surgery second opinion?+
The exact record depends on the decision. It may include imaging, catheterization reports, echocardiograms, clinical notes, laboratory results, and the proposed operative plan. With your authorization, the records team can help identify, obtain, and organize what is needed.
Can I get a heart surgery second opinion online?+
Yes. The medical-record review is completed remotely, so no travel or referral is required. You may choose a written review alone or a service level that also includes a live physician consultation.
What if the second opinion agrees with my surgeon?+
Confirmation can still be useful. The report organizes the reasoning, alternatives, risk context, missing information, and questions to take back to your treating clinicians so you can decide what to do next with greater clarity.
Will asking for a second opinion delay heart surgery?+
Not necessarily, but timing depends on record availability and the urgency of your condition. Continue following your treating team’s instructions and do not delay urgent or time-sensitive treatment while waiting for this service.
Does WHITEGLOVEMD replace my surgeon or cardiologist?+
No. WHITEGLOVEMD provides a limited-scope independent medical-record review and decision support. The reviewing role depends on the service selected and the applicable consent and service terms. It does not provide emergency care or replace the clinicians responsible for your ongoing treatment.
Not emergency care.
Do not delay urgent or time-sensitive treatment while waiting for WHITEGLOVEMD. If you may be experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
The decision stays yours
Before the first incision, bring both physician perspectives to the table.
Tell us what you were told, what is already scheduled, and what still feels unclear.
Our team calls within 2 business hours. During business hours, a same-day conversation with a cardiac surgeon or cardiologist may be arranged only when clinically appropriate and a physician is available.