So I had my EPP done at University of Michigan back in February and I gotta say, picking the place was way harder than I thought it'd be. Everyone kept telling me volume matters and yeah that's true but it's not the whole story.
First thing I did was ask my oncologist straight up which centers around here actually do this stuff regularly. Turns out most hospitals don't do EPP very much at all, so that narrowed it down fast. I called like five places and asked how many they do per year. UMich said around 20-25 pleural cases annually and they've been doing this for like 15 years. That felt solid.
But here's the thing nobody tells you, the surgeon matters more than you think. I got lucky and got Dr. Liptay and he's literally trained under the guys who invented the procedure. When I asked about his specific outcomes with stage I patients, he had actual numbers. Not vague stuff. That was huge for me.
I also asked about what happens after surgery. Like recovery support, follow up chemo coordination, all that. UMich had a whole team ready to go and they explained the entire plan before I went in. Other places I called were kinda vague about the after part which weirded me out.
The insurance thing too. Call and make sure they're in network or at least find out upfront what you're gonna owe. I didn't do this first and it was a headache later.
My advice is don't just pick the big name center. Pick the place that actually answers your questions and has a surgeon who's done hundreds of these, not dozens. And honestly call and talk to their patient coordinators. If they're helpful before surgery they'll be helpful after.