How do I find if a doctor is high volume?

[macoza]

How do I find if a doctor is high volume and also how many implants he's done? A doctor may not necessarily give an honest answer so I'd want to know if there are other ways of finding out.

[UpNorth]

Pull up the doctor list on the implants website and see what info they have, maybe even an email as well.
Have you tried to just type that in a see what AI had to say?

[lasthope2.0]

Hey Macoza, sorry for the delay. I replied to your PM late.

Here is how you can discover higher volume implant surgeons in the US.

#1) Check manufacturer Center of Excellence certification.

##Boston Scientific grants COE status at a minimum of 25 IPPs per year. You can search by city/zip code here:

https://www.edcure.com/us/en/find-a-specialist.html

##Coloplast grants COE status at a minimum of 30 IPPs per year. You can search their site by city/zip code as well.

https://www.coloplastmenshealth.com/find-a-physician/

Let's assume I live in Indianapolis, IN and I run searches in the above sites.

Dr. Alex Tatum appears on both lists with a COE badge, that confirms at least 55 implants per year (25 + 30). Keep in mind that's just the minimum for a COE certification.

#2)
Now I want to lookup his education and fellowship training.

His website says:
Fellowship training:
Fellowship in Male Fertility, Microsurgery, and Sexual Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine.

That's a strong signal. Baylor is where Dr F Brantley Scott developed the first IPP in the 1970s!

In the appointment, ask for his exact IPP total for 2024 to ground the discussion. (I personally know he does 200-250/year.)

This is just an example and not an endorsement.

This approach keeps vetting clear, objective, and quick. My risk tolerance is very low. Personally, I wouldn't want to be operated on by someone who performs fewer than 100 a year, but to each their own!

PS:
I've attached images on how the COE certification badges appear in the above websites.

[macoza]

#1) Check manufacturer Center of Excellence certification.

##Boston Scientific grants COE status at a minimum of 25 IPPs per year. You can search by city/zip code here:

https://www.edcure.com/us/en/find-a-specialist.html

##Coloplast grants COE status at a minimum of 30 IPPs per year. You can search their site by city/zip code as well.

https://www.coloplastmenshealth.com/find-a-physician/

Hi lasthope,

Thank you for this needed info. Fyi, Dr Gregory Amend will be moving to another hospital cuz his tenure currently at Mount Sinai ends in a month and his schedule for surgeries is full. But he highly recommended Dr. Leon Telis whom he says is high volume. But when I looked for him in both links you posted he has a COE on the Coloplast site but not on the BS site. Would you trust him regardless given that Dr. Amend recommended him?

In the appointment, ask for his exact IPP total for 2024 to ground the discussion. (I personally know he does 200-250/year.)
.

How do you know for sure he does 200 - 250 implants a year? Just by asking him wont necessarily be a truthful response.

.

[CigareVolant]

Here is the Archimedes method of checking your doctor's volume. Fill a tub entirely up with water. Submerge your doctor in the tub. Measure the volume of the water that flooded out of the tub when you shoved your doctor in. Archimedes invented this to measure crowns but it works on doctors too.

[Ephi82]

Hey Macoza, sorry for the delay. I replied to your PM late.

Here is how you can discover higher volume implant surgeons in the US.

#1) Check manufacturer Center of Excellence certification.

##Boston Scientific grants COE status at a minimum of 25 IPPs per year. You can search by city/zip code here:

https://www.edcure.com/us/en/find-a-specialist.html

##Coloplast grants COE status at a minimum of 30 IPPs per year. You can search their site by city/zip code as well.

https://www.coloplastmenshealth.com/find-a-physician/

Let's assume I live in Indianapolis, IN and I run searches in the above sites.

Dr. Alex Tatum appears on both lists with a COE badge, that confirms at least 55 implants per year (25 + 30). Keep in mind that's just the minimum for a COE certification.

#2)
Now I want to lookup his education and fellowship training.

His website says:
Fellowship training:
Fellowship in Male Fertility, Microsurgery, and Sexual Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine.

That's a strong signal. Baylor is where Dr F Brantley Scott developed the first IPP in the 1970s!

In the appointment, ask for his exact IPP total for 2024 to ground the discussion. (I personally know he does 200-250/year.)

This is just an example and not an endorsement.

This approach keeps vetting clear, objective, and quick. My risk tolerance is very low. Personally, I wouldn't want to be operated on by someone who performs fewer than 100 a year, but to each their own!

PS:
I've attached images on how the COE certification badges appear in the above websites.

My career was in medical/ surgical devices and I can tell you that COE certification should not be used as a definitive way to determine surgical volume or surgical ability.

Sure, surgeons have to be trained and they have to do 55 a year, but that is a little over one a week. That is not high volume. Also, manufacturers often “ reward” a surgeon with a COE designation when they switch from a competitors product to theirs, or when a surgeon decides to first start performing the implant surgery. ( after they have completed x amount of procedures that projects to be an annual rate of 55)

In my opinion, the best way to find information about high volume surgeons is by digging around on this forum! That’s what I did!

[ColoplastTitanUpOver]

Here is the Archimedes method of checking your doctor's volume. Fill a tub entirely up with water. Submerge your doctor in the tub. Measure the volume of the water that flooded out of the tub when you shoved your doctor in. Archimedes invented this to measure crowns but it works on doctors too.

You have a good sense of humor, CigareVolant. Gotta love the archimedes principle

[Journeyman]

I had just got my approval and scheduled a surgery in Cleveland. I looked up my surgeons reviews and got nauseous. Why I didn't do that first is unlike me . I thought he was the only one in the area doing these surgeries and was just desperate, I guess. I quickly got cold feet and canceled. I had been watching Dr.Clavells videos on YouTube for about a year and knew that's who I wanted to do the most important surgery of my life . I wasn't willing to gamble with the surgeon in Cleveland ( the reviews were for other operations he did , more common surgeries. I didn't get feeling that he was doing a lot of implants! ) ....Anyway , I called Dr.Clavell office. The professionalism and experience these people had dealing with this procedure was quickly recognized and appreciated. I knew I had made the right decision. For some inexplicable reason the insurance company denied the surgery! AFTER THEY HAD JUST APPROVED IT UP NORTH ! Dr.Clavell scheduled a " peer to peer " review with the Insurance companies representative and got us back on track . The surgery was done in April of 2023 . My Titan has brought me back from the depths of despair and revived my sex life, confidence and overall happiness. I NEVER worry about not being able to get, or keep , an erection. I can have sex on demand ! It was the best decision I've ever made and I'm so thankful to Dr .Clavell and his staff . For the price of a plane ticket and a hotel room , it was well worth it . My advice, do your research and just go to a surgeon you're comfortable with . You won't regret it .

[alans4570]

I went to see a local surgeon who comes up on the AMS site as high volume. During the consultation he informed me that I would lose size and have floppy glands. He even said it maybe difficult to get it in for intercoures but once it's in you shouldn't have any problems. Needless to say I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Just because they are listed on one of those sites doesn't tell you if they are a skilled practitioner. I decided to go with Dr.Clavell and it was the best decision I ever made. Everything is perfect. No lost size and the glands solid. I drove down Houston. It was 18 hours one way. I would do it again if needed.

[macoza]

Hey Macoza, sorry for the delay. I replied to your PM late.

My career was in medical/ surgical devices and I can tell you that COE certification should not be used as a definitive way to determine surgical volume or surgical ability.

Very good to know. Thank you.

In my opinion, the best way to find information about high volume surgeons is by digging around on this forum! That’s what I did!

Thats not really definitive. How would you go about doing so on this forum?

Btw, I'm scheduled to see a surgeon Dr. Leon Telis for a consult only soon. But he was recommended by a surgeon whom I wanted to have surgery with but he's leaving the clinic. I dont know much about Dr Leon telis. Maybe you can help me?

.