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Doctor's Training Affects Defibrillator Implant Results

He said the study shows that "across the board as a group, electrophysiologists have a better outcome than cardiologists or thoracic surgeons."

"But it does not show what individual physicians' outcomes are," Hammill added. His recommendation is that anyone considering a defibrillator implant "needs to speak with their physician and be sure that the physician is comfortable with the level of expertise and training of the individual who will do the implant."

Further study is needed to see whether the benefits of having an implant done by an electrophysiologist continue after hospital discharge, Curtis and Hammill said. "We need a follow-up study to see what happens over time," Curtis said.