Megan & Mitch, the most helpful information I got about my surgeon was from one of the nurses who worked with him in the past. If you know someone one who could help you find a contact it can be wonderfully helpful. It is pretty easy to find where your surgeon went to school and where he has worked and whether he has been taken to court by patients, however, those things don't really tell you what kind of surgeon he is. From the nurse that I met, I learned that my surgeon works to maintain a professional yet warmly personal relationship with his surgical team. She observed that he goes to great lengths during surgery to do what he can to ensure his patients will have a better outcome. As well, she spoke about how his patients generally recovered more smoothly than those of some other doctors. The conversation left me feeling more positive about my impending AVR than anything else with the possible exception of joining VR.
Larry