Posted by Carl Plaskett on January 18, 2003 at 10:08:02:
In Reply to: With some exceptions ********** posted by John Behle on January 18, 2003 at 01:53:28:
Excellent point, John! I think anyone considering ANY major procedure, and particularily one as precise as the Cox Maze III or a PVA/PVI should ask questions, both of the doctor/facility being considered and of other "recipient/patients" in a forum like this.
Before I had my maze, I had narrowed my choices to Dr. Millar/LDS, Dr. Geiss (Jack's surgeon), Dr. O'Dell at the Mayo in Jacksonville, and even Dr. Barnes in Boise,Idaho, because of what others had posted here and another AF site about results/care, etc. I resisted my insurance company's insistance that I go to the Cleveland Clinic, but researched what was happening with the Maze there with Dr. McCarthy, and ended up there (and forever grateful for my good fortune to have done so).
I am sure I would have had the same results with my earlier "choices", as they all have excellent records and are not associated with big name facilities (the Mayo in Jacksonville excepted, but I haven't read of Dr. O'Dell/Maze surgeries for 2 years+).
You must remember however, that Dr. Cox pioneered/improved the cures for WPW syndrome & afib while at large, university hospitals, resulting in the Cox Maze III, which Dr. Millar has called "the gold standard against which modifications should be measured... because of the resulting 97% cure rate".
Where WOULD we all be without Dr. Cox and the teaching hospitals at which Dr. Millar, Dr. McCarthy and others learned this aMAZEing procedure?