which hospital is better?

jj2011

Hi all,

I live in New York. I just can not decide which hospital I need to go for my DCIS low grade?

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital breast cenetr or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Can you offer any opinions?

Thank you.

OldOakTree

jj - I am not familiar with either to know which would be better but one thing I have learned is that one doctor or one hospital or one surgeon isn't necessarily better than the other but both are probably equally good and you will get top care no matter which you choose.  There will always be people who are completely unhappy with a doctor or hospital or surgeon and others who think they are tops. 

ShinyGirl

JJ- I had my masectomy done at Sloan on June 10, 2011. Since I did not do reconstruction I was in and out of the hospital in literally 24hrs!! I absoultely love my Dr!! Her name is Dr.VanZee. She happens to specialize in my cancer, DCIS, but of course works will all breast cancer patients. As far as Sloan goes, honestly, I feel it was your typical hospital experience. When you hit the call button for the nurse, of course there was a wait. The morning after my surgery, the day I was going home, it was 9:30 and I was still waiting for breakfast to come and was acutally getting hungry. I finally asked a nurse when breakfast was coming and she said I needed to order it and didnt I have a menu from dinner the night before? I said well no, I never had dinner either... she said I needed to ASK for a menu.. I didnt know. When it was time to go the nurse just kind of bid me farewell in the hallway and I was looking at her strangely and finally said where is the wheelchair? (My husband had a hernia surgery 3 weeks prior to my surgery and the nurse not only wheeled him out, but put him in the car! Not at Sloan) Again, I had to ask for one of those... and a couple of things I had to find out the hard way..by waiting around. It almost seemed as though they expected their patients to know the deal. Well sorry, but this is my first masectomy, pardon my ignorance. Overall, my stay was ok, but I only had a 24hr taste of Sloan. I am not sure if any hospital will be better.. good luck with your descisions.. the descions process is very, very difficult. 

jj2011

Hi ShinyGirl,

Thank you for your sharing your experience and help.

Interestingly, I chose Dr. Van Zee at first and Later I did MRI, and additional biopsy and ultrasound at NY Presbyterian hospital and thought they have a great team too.  They need to do

lumptectomy first and get a complete picture about my lump.  My final decision is NY Presbyterian

hospital.

>the descions process is very, very difficult.

Yes.  truly agree.

Did Dr. Van Zee recommend Mastecomy for you and why?  Since it's DCIS.

Hope that you fully recover from surgery.

Best wishes for you!

dreaming

I think a hospital is as good as their nurses, since they will be longer with you, in the city where I live, I have been for different reasons  a patient in several hospitals.

A hospital doesn't have good nursing staff if not a hospital I would go as a patient. Usually I ask what is the ratio of patients per nurse, are all RN, are most foreign? They pay less for this nurses  at some hospitals.