Mark:
Just make sure the surgeon you choose does the particular procedure you have to have done has done it many, many times over.
I needed mitral valve repair and was really opposed to "settling" for mitral valve replacement. I saw several local cardiologists and two of the top local surgeons in Salt Lake City. The top local surgeons do the full range of cardiac surgery procedures including heart transplants, one has authored a cardiac surgery textbook and is nationally known for the Ross procedure. The other was the head of cardio-thoracic surgery at University of Utah where some of the first heart transplant surgeries were done and a very fine surgeo. However, each of these surgeons gaVe me only a 50-70% chance they could repair my valve. Also, each of them attempted valve repair only 2-3 times a month, many of which became valve replacements.
That wasn't good enough odds for me. I had previously researched Cleveland Clinic (along with some other medical centers and surgeons) where mitral valve replacement was done on a much greater volume. I ended up choosing Dr. Cosgrove at Cleveland Clinic who does as many as 4 valve surgeries a day and has 10,000 mitral valve repairs behind him.
My feeling is when you're in the hospital, doesn't matter if it's ten miles from home or 10,000, it's still not fun and you still just want to get to the end of it and go home. We spent two weeks in Cleveland and then flew home. About four days later, I spent two days in our local University of Utah Hospital for suspected TIA activity. Being in the local hospital was no better than being in the long-distance hospital. The most important thing, is that you have the best surgeon doing the job.
Of course, looks are not a criteria, but Bonnie, I'll put Dr. Cosgrove up against any other handsome surgeon any day! At 60, I still thought he was gorgeous!