I am a 63 year old Physician internist who had a 5 v. CABG at Hoag Hosp Newport in Jan 2024 by Dr. Caffarelli. I stayed in the Hosp for 3.5 days before going home. He is the best Cardiothoracic surgeon there is and i owe my life to him. Eversince the surgery I lost 60 pounds and have kept the weight off . I truly miss him and wish him the best in Montana. It is a big loss for the Hoag Hospital to have lost such a gem surgeon. read more

My husband and I can't thank you enough for saving his life! You, your nurse Rita at Hoag Newport and the staff are super great! I'm so selfishly sad to see you have moved to Montana but happy for those patients who will receive five star service! Thank you and wish you nothing but the best! Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Holt! read more

Best of the Best .....Dr Caffarelli and his entire team are the "Gold Standard " of cardiac care ....I'm living proof! 3 months ago I was living my best life , on vacation in Hawaii, meeting my first granddaughter Ryan & swimming 4 miles in the Ocean . Within weeks it was determined that I had a Heart attack & major coronary artery disease, with a twist. I had a congenital defect in my RCA , making things much worse. My was life was in peril and my wife of 35 years Beth and our 4 children's world was instantly turned upside down. I consulted with two top Cardiologist, both instantly recommended Dr Caffarelli without reservation. My wife and I met with Dr Caffarelli , he detailed everything that was wrong and how he would make it right . We left that meeting with knowledge and the confidence that we had found our team. The entire team assisted us (held our hands) in all the pre op procedures, they all cared for us . The surgery went exactly as described , I followed the instruction to the tee . I was out of the hospital in 4 days and back at work in 4 weeks . I'm so grateful for the care and compassion that Dr Caffarelli and his team bestowed on me .....I'm getting stronger every day and guarantee I will make the most out of my second chance to live my best life . Mahalo Team Caffarelli , the Ryans owe you all a debt of gratitude . read more

I am a 58 years old male and I had a double bypass heart surgery 2 months ago by Dr. Caffarelli and his team. Now that the surgery is behind me I can say with confidence that this Doctor and his team are absolute gems. Dr. Cafferelli truly cares for his patients, his surgical skills, bedside manner and attention to detail were all excellent. At my final appointment he asked me if I could think of anything that they could do to improve on and I could not think of anything. It was a seamless process and I was blessed to have such humble, skillful and caring doctor work on the most important part of my body. Many thanks to Dr. Caffarelli and his team at Hoag Hospital. read more

Dr Caffarelli and his extraordinary heart/cardiac team saved my life in February 2023. I'm recovering steadily now following his weekly recuperation plan. As others have written so well, this is a man apart and on a mission, perhaps in part from his military service. If you are fortunate enough to have him as your surgeon, know that your survival chances have improved. No one's perfect, but he could be considered pretty close, and that includes bedside manner and hospital room visits. He's in charge of a heart unit of doctors, nurses, PAs, technicians, administrators and many more. Hoag Hospital is the perfect partner for Dr Caffarelli and the partner cardiac physicians he has surrounded himself with. I couldn't recommend both to you more if my life depended on it. read more

Dr Caffarelli literally saved my life!After an emergency surgery for a aortic dissection, I counted nothing short of a miracle that I survived and I'm recovering very nicely. I feel so blessed that I happen to be able to have him so available and to be able to have one of the best surgeons in the country there when I needed him most He is awesome! read more

Went to meet Dr. Caffarelli for the first with my friend who needs bypass surgery and Dr. Caffarelli and his staff were extremely knowledgeable and explained everything to us in depth. We know what to expect and are grateful that at least one doctor took the time to actually explain the whole process from beginning to end. He was not in a rush he used terminology we could understand, no dr mumble jumble. I can't say enough about my confidence in Dr. Caffarelli and his amazing staff!! read more

I was diagnosed with a 5.2 cm ascending aortic aneurysm in July 2017. Having no history of heart issues, while I was in the hospital waiting to be released, I started researching what the treatment would be and who the best surgeons are. The hospital I was admitted to had a "Good" rating for the surgery I needed, but Hoag Hospital had a "Best" rating. My sister has been a nurse at Hoag for decades and had nothing but praise for their heart surgeons, so I decided to consult with them. I met with Dr. Raney at my first visit. He wanted me to wait three months and see if the aneurysm increased in size. He also said that he would not be the one who would do my surgery. The other hospital's recommended surgeon had told me to come back in four months. After speaking with several nurses and a couple of aneurysm patients over the next couple of weeks, I decided that I did not want to wait 3-4 months. I called Hoag and found out that Dr. Caffarelli would be my surgeon if I had my surgery there, so I scheduled the next available appointment with him. I went armed with studies that showed that women are commonly now operated on when the size of the aneurysm reaches 5 cm, rather than 5.5 as is the standard for men. My testing at Hoag showed that the size of mine was now 5.3. It had either grown in size already, or one of the measurements was not correct. Either way, it was too close to 5.5 cm for my comfort, and way beyond 5.0 cm. I told Dr. Caffarelli that I was living with the knowledge that I could experience rupture/death at any moment and my quality of life was gone. I was also driving back and forth between Prescott AZ and California, because we were in the process of moving. Knowing I'd found the best hospital and the best surgeon, the thought of a rupture and subsequent helicopter ride through the desert (during which I would likely die) scared the heck out of me---best case scenario, I would end up with a surgeon on call who had no clue about my case. No thank you! Dr. Caffarelli informed me about all of the risks of the surgery and told me that I was not at the stage yet where he felt surgery was immediately needed, but I told him I needed it emotionally. He agreed to proceed, and my surgery was a resounding success. After, Dr. Caffarelli told me that the walls of the aorta were even thinner than the tests showed, so he agreed that the timing had been good. I had no complications and my self-rated pain was at a "1" out of 10 just a couple of days post-op. My nurse sister said her patients in labor and delivery were giving her ratings of 6 and 7 for their perceived pain, haha!! I had surgery on Monday and I was released to go on Friday. Dr. Caffarelli gave me very strict orders to follow at home: Get up early, get showered and dressed, eat a high protein breakfast, go for a walk and take a nap. High protein lunch, walk, nap. I followed his orders and recovery went very well. I've had a lot of surgeries, but this one was by far the most serious and the toughest--- it really sapped all of my strength. After six weeks of working hard at recovery, I was back to painting my kitchen cabinets. We did move to 5100 feet in elevation, so building up my cardio strength was super important for me. I became short of breath very easily in AZ in the beginning but I feel normal now. I've had lots of followup tests and everything is working well. I'm so thankful for life and to have found Dr. Caffarelli. If you are facing open heart surgery, one of the best tips I received was to build up my thigh strength as much as possible, because you are not able to use your arms to get yourself out of bed or out of a chair. I did leg exercises (especially squats) for a month prior to my surgery and that really helped. Dr. Caffarelli was very caring and honest with me, did a fantastic job repairing my aorta, and continues to encourage me to improve my health. I still see him yearly for followup even though I live in AZ now. I'd like to point out that Laura G's review below is not even about Dr. Caffarelli and should be removed. read more

Please use extreme caution with this physician. My aunt lost her life to Dr. Caffarelli and what we learned about how she died was truly horrifying and baffling. My aunt needed an aortic valve replacement and had Dr. Caffarelli just stuck with that, we wouldn't need to write this review but instead he added on, just before surgery, a completely unnecessary procedure called septal myectomy. We later learned that Dr. Caffarelli has very little experience with this procedure so it's no surprise that he botched the procedure. He cut a hole so big in my aunts heart that he was never able to repair the damage he did. Additionally, in trying to fix his mistake, Dr. Caffarelli also cut something else that he wasn't supposed to, as well. All these mistakes along with an lengthy time on the bypass machine were too much for my aunt to overcome. After her death it was finally revealed that issue that Dr. Caffarelli was trying to address with the septal myectomy procedure was only 5% of her problem! Why is this guy trying to do a very risky procedure, at the last minute, which he has little experience with to fix an issue that only 5% of her problem?!! It's no wonder with that logic that death is the outcome. No matter what Dr. Caffarelli tells you about this case before, during or after surgery, nothing can take away from the fact that his poor last minute decisions and all the surgical mistakes directly lead to the death of my aunt. Even though Hoag could care less about this death, we finally after a year of trying to get answers, received a letter. The letter stated that after their "investigation" of what happened, there were "opportunities for improving care" and that Dr. Caffarelli was up for peer review. More important than this review or the overly positive reviews that Dr. Caffarelli has on here is that you need to protect yourself. Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in this country. Protect yourself. Ask your doctor a lot of questions and in this case, ask local cardiologists of their opinion of Dr. Caffarelli and the Raney Zusman group. You might be surprised what you find out. In the meantime, let's all hope that Dr. Caffarelli has learned that being a good surgeon is not just knowing what to do but also knowing what NOT to do. Please use caution. read more

This guy is a stud & an A+++. I feel bad for "Sue J's" friend but anger can often cloud reality. Anthony (he's happy you call him that) was wonderful from day one & I chose him over one of the most highly rated Cedars-Sinai surgeons in the world. It was, without ANY doubt, a great decision. He told us exactly what he was going to do, how he was going to do it, & what to expect. Everything went EXACTLY as he said, his bedside manners were A+, he has no ego like so many of these other schmucks, and if you have an unfortunate opportunity to need heart surgery, THIS IS YOUR GUY!!!!! Highly professional, highly skilled, highly recommended. For heart surgeons, he is THE Best-of-the-Best, period. read more

Dr. Caffarelli is likely one of the top 10 best heart surgeons in US. References from doctors in Houston and Cleveland and my excellent Cardiologist were correct. He replaced my aortic heart valve. He loves his work. If you can get in to see him, you should. So you know, all the heart surgeons are phenomenal at Hoag in Newport Beach. You don't have to go to Cleveland or the Houston Heart group. Caffarelli also had a great sense of humor. He had to put up with me. PS. Recovery overlooking Newport Beach and the ocean made for a quick exit from the 9th Floor intensive care recovery floor after 4 days . read more

Of coarse being scared after hearing I had to have a heart bypass once i met Doc. Caffarelli & his one of his assistants, alot of my nervousness was releived. he did explain things in normal everyday language etc and was easy to chat with.. i would recommend him to anyone read more

Ten years ago I had an emergency Type A aortic dissection and Dr. Caffarelli repaired the nearly catastrophic damage at Stanford. I'm living proof of his skill and talent. He's the best. Period. read more

"Kevin G" makes a good point in his review below: anger can cloud reality but, unfortunately for "Kevin G" so can overly positive Yelp reviews. The bottom line is with any surgery you should be well informed and ask a lot of questions. On the Society of Thoracic Surgeons website, there is a great article about "...staying safe and making informed decisions" Some of the things the article points out are: -get all the facts, benefits, risks and alternative (less invasive) options and plenty of time to review all the information before surgery -find out if the surgery is really needed (get second opinions) -meet with surgeon and ask about his/her complication and mortality rates -ask the surgeon about his/her experience with a certain procedure And above all, be sure that your surgeon is recommending procedures that are you good for you and not just good for them. It seems that most heart surgeons (not all) use a conservative , calculated approach to your heart surgery and have your best interest in mind but just in case, be as informed as you can. Stay safe and use caution. read more

One of the top heart surgeons in SoCal and he does his appointments and surgeries at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.

Please use caution if you are or considering using this surgeon. A dear friend of mine lost her life at the hands of this surgeon and when I was told by her family what happened I was shocked, disgusted and in disbelief. In short, my friend needed an aortic valve replacement but at the last minute, Dr. Caffarelli added on a completely unnecessary procedure called septal myectomy. Dr. Caffarelli has very little experience with this procedure so its not surprising that he botched the procedure and cut a hole so big in her heart that he could never close it. My friend suffered for 2.5 days in the ICU before she finally passed. Dr. Caffarelli claimed he was just trying to be perfect as a surgeon when her family asked why he would do a very risky procedure he has little experience with to fix an issue that he claims was only 5% of her problem! To me that seems like pure ego. I was told Hoag could care less about this death but did an investigation and found that there "could be opportunities to improve care" and that he was up for peer review. My own cardiologist refuses to refer any patients to Dr. Caffarelli or anyone in the Raney Zusman Group and he felt this way before my friends death. What does that tell you?? Again, if you are using or thinking of using this surgeon please use extreme caution and be sure that he's recommending procedures that are good for you and not just good for him!! read more

My husband was referred to Dr. Caffarelli after being admitted to Hoag Hospital. Dr. Caffarelli is a thoracic surgeon. He is such an AMAZING doctor!! He is caring, knowledgeable, and passionate about the care and well being of his patients. He is so easy to talk to and explains your condition in lame terms so that you understand your medical conditions. Throughout the day of my husband's surgery, I was getting updates throughout the day to help ease my nerves, his team was GREAT!!! After the surgery, he met with me personally to let me know how things went. He even came to my husband bedside after surgery to make sure he was doing well. I am lost for words to describe how caring and compassionate he is. I felt that he treated and cared for my husband as he would his own family members. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM!!!! Below is the typical format that health grade uses for reviews Scheduling Appointment: Ease of scheduling urgent appointments when you feel ill: EXCELLENT Office Environment: Office environment (cleanliness, comfort, lighting, temperature, location): EXCELLENT Office Friendliness: Friendliness and courtesy of the office staff: EXCELLENT- Friendly and responded to my husband's every time he called after surgery!! GREAT follow up!!! Wait Time: EXCELLENT Once you arrive for a scheduled appointment, how long you have to wait (including waiting room and exam room) before you see this provider: Under 10 Minutes 10 to 15 Minutes National Average Level of Trust: Do you trust your provider to make decisions / recommendations that are in your best interests? DEFINITELY YES Helps Patients Understand Their Condition: Does the provider help you understand your medical condition(s)? DEFINITELY YES Listens and Answers Questions: Does the provider listen to you and answer your questions? DEFINITELY YES Time Spent with Patient: Do you feel the provider spends an appropriate amount of time with you? DEFINITELY YES Recommend to a Friend: Would you recommend Dr. Caffarelli to family and friends DEFINITELY YES read more

The following information is only being provided so that you can do your own due diligence with this surgeon. This information is not an indication of the type of person or surgeon Dr. Caffarelli is. Thats for you to decide. We have our opinions. Also, if we truly had no issues with this surgeon, we would not be submitting this type of review. Having said that, my family and I did not have a good experience or outcome with this surgeon and thus we cannot recommend him at all. A close family member needed an aortic valve replacement and had Dr. Caffarelli just stuck with that our loved one would still be alive and we wouldn't need to write this review. Instead, Dr. Cafarelli decided at the last minute to add on a completely unnecessary, very risky procedure called septal myectomy. He provided very vague information about the procedure and we learned after the fact that he himself has very little experience with septal myectomy. We also learned that the assisting surgeon Dr. Colin Joyo, apparently, has very little experience with the septal myectomy surgery as well. Not surprisingly, Dr. Caffarelli botched the procedure, leaving a hole in our loved ones heart. In trying to fix his mistake he also cut a chord of the tricuspid valve and had to repair that as well. It seems that he was so in over his head in the O.R. with his mistakes that he had to call in another surgeon. Unfortunately, due to all the mistakes and extended surgery time, our loved one left the O.R. in poor condition which would continue to deteriorate in the ICU and eventually led to death. To this day, we struggle to understand why Dr. Caffarelli would chose to perform a very high risk procedure that he has limited experience with at the last minute in an attempt to fix an issue that he himself estimates was only 5% of our loved ones problem! When asked why he chose to do a very risky procedure to fix a minor problem, his answer was, "I was just trying to be perfect as a surgeon". Our interpretation of this is pure ego. You can draw your own conclusions. No matter what Dr. Caffarelli tells you about this case, before, during or after, surgery, nothing can take away from the fact that he botched a surgical procedure that he has limited experience with and that didn't need to be done and this directly resulted in the very poor condition of our loved one, post surgery. Also, after the fact , in speaking to a cardiologist we use, we learned that our cardiologist never refers patients to Dr. Caffarelli or the Raney Zusman Group and this was the case before before our family member died. The response from Hoag lacked any sympathy and was pathetic at best, but finally after a year of trying to get more answers, they did send us a letter that following their own "internal investigation" they came to the conclusion that there "there may be opportunities for improving care" and that Dr. Caffarelli was up for peer review. Naturally, we are in no position to tell you what surgeon you can use and if you are working with Dr. Caffarelli or considering it, the only advice we can give you based upon our experience is, please don't let this guy fool you. Ask a lot of questions, challenge him and absolutely get a second opinion. Don't let his ego take unnecessary risks with you the way we believe he did with our loved one. The death of our family member was completely preventable. Here's a final thought for you: An experienced cardiac surgeon that reviewed this case and found multiple issues, told us, "being a good cardiac surgeon is not just knowing what to do but also knowing what NOT to do". Something that, we hope Dr. Caffarelli has learned by now, for your sake. Please use caution. read more

had questions regarding radiology reports on Cat Scan. Dr. Caffarelli spent time reading and explaining the results in detail he is direct and yet compassionate. read more

I strongly agree with all of the other reviews especially the review written in 2012 describing all of the associated factors with Dr. Caffarelli and his staff along with the care provided by Hoag Hospital. After our first meeting with Dr. Caffarelli we knew immediately that he was the right surgeon for the job. Dr. Caffarelli's attention to detail, and endless patience with our questions was exactly what we needed to put us at ease. This guy was a U.S. Marine. To say that he is squared away is an understatement. This is the guy who runs to the Emergency Room when a Code Blue is announced. My personal physician in Orange County assured me that I was getting the very best surgeon at the very best hospital and he was correct. My surgery occurred about two weeks ago and I had absolutely no problems with Dr. Caffarelli or Hoag Hospital. It is all thumbs up on recommending Dr. Caffarelli. read more

Due to the emergency nature of my surgery, Dr. Caffarelli was assigned to me. I had no ability to vet him in advance. Afterward, I felt that a higher power must have been looking out for me because I truly feel blessed that Dr. Caffarelli conducted my surgery. Besides being a reknown and brilliant surgeon (I'll spare you the details of my rather complex medical situation which he resolved), but as the previous rater stated, his bedside manners are incredible! He is truly a kindhearted man who patiently provides detailed explanations to his patients and their family. Every follow up appointment, he patiently answered all of my "I don't know if this is normal, but..." questions. I feel like other doctors should learn from him to to treat their patients with kindness, care and dignity. For what is a very scary and life-threatening event, I cannot imagine a better doctor out there that would handle it as well as Dr. Caffarelli. I am still alive because of his skills (obviously the most important criteria), but I am confidently progressing strongly in my recovery because of his encouraging care. read more