Best Hospitals for Surgery by Consumer Reports

July 31, 2013 -- Many hospitals gather information on how patients fare after surgery, but it's not typically available to the public. That can make it hard to compare hospitals when you're scheduling surgery. Consumer Reports just rated nearly 2,500 hospitals for common surgical procedures, like hip or knee replacement, using a source of information that is available - hospital-billing data.

Jacqueline Birnbaum says her father had high hopes when he went to the hospital for a hip replacement.

"He thought it was going to improve his quality of life and make it easier for him to get around, and make it more comfortable for him," she said.

Birnbaum says the surgery appeared to go well. But afterward, her father developed an infection and died without ever leaving the hospital.

If you're scheduling a surgery, Consumer Reports says the hospital you choose can make a big difference. That after analyzing three years of Medicare billing records from nearly 2,500 hospitals with the help of the health care consulting firm MPA.

The analysis covered 27 kinds of common surgeries, including hip and knee replacement, back surgery, and surgery to clear blocked arteries.

"We rated hospitals based on the percent of Medicare patients undergoing surgery who died or were hospitalized longer than expected, which could indicate complications," said Dr. John Santa of Consumer Reports.

Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, is one of the highest-rated hospitals. Administrators say its attention to detail has led to dramatic improvements in recent years.

"Our patients are having fewer infections, and they're having a better experience," Dr. Marcia Nelson of Enloe Medical Center.

Consumer Reports hopes its ratings will motivate hospitals to set high standards and empower patients.

"We know the ratings aren't a perfect measurement, but we think they're an important first step in giving patients the information they need to make an informed choice," said Dr. John Santa.

The hospital where Marvin Birnbaum went earned a low overall surgery rating from Consumer Reports. Jacqueline Birnbaum says she wishes her dad could have had access to this type of information.

Consumer Reports is hoping hospitals will make more information available to patients to help them make informed decisions.

Click here for the FULL Surgery Ratings Report from Consumer Reports.

All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2008. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not for profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumerreports.org.

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