James D. Flaherty, MD

Within the hospital system, Dr. Flaherty has an excellent reputation. He is not a surgeon so he does not operate. But he is an interventional cardiologist, meaning he does heart catheterizations. These procedures are done on people suspected of having serious heart disease and occasionally can have bad outcomes that are beyond the doctor's control. I chose him based on his reputation, his academic ties (He is an associate professor), his research, and what other patients have said about his nature. He took care of my father who had a rare heart condition. Not only was he familiar with treating this rare condition that other cardiologists were not comfortable dealing with, he was very good at explaining every detail and I was very comfortable having my father in his hands. I am very sorry for the other reviewer's loss. I know nothing of her case. But I do know that bad things can happen despite the best efforts of the physicians who care for them, and I personally had a good experience, know Dr. Flaherty is very well trained, and I trusted him with my father who is doing very well.

My cousins experience with Dr Flagherty was by chance. Because of a fainting episode that happened at a restaurant near Northwestern, she was given a chance to live longer. Rather than a wait and see if you have complications ( what her previous cardiologist did) Northwestern and Dr Flagherty gave my 90 year old cousin a better chance of living longer with the TAVR procedure. Had she not had an emergency visit to Northwestern she would not have had anything done, just waiting to see if her condition got bad enough to do something. The staff there was wonderful. Highly recommend Dr Flaherty.

Dr. Flaherty has managed my cardio since my triple by-pass surgery in 2014. Stellar post op care, and excellent care through the annual on-going check up visits. I can't say enough good things about the guy. Intelligent, compassionate, personable. He's a keeper!

Please evaluate carefully before selecting this doctor. My mother died on his operating table. In response to the reviewer below, is not TAVR considered surgery? We were told that Dr. Flaherty would be the doctor performing this procedure on my mother. Her death certificate said her left ventricle had been punctured and she bled out. Obviously, someone made a terrible error in a surgery we were told had a one percent chance of mortality. The horrible outcome is not the only reason I would not recommend Dr. Flaherty. On a morning my mother's s surgery was scheduled, she was ill, possibly with a virus--we weren't sure. But she was having bouts of diahhrea. Some years before she had suffered from C-Diff, so I called Dr. Flaherty's office to see what we should do. His nurse told me to make the trip from Kankakee with my 87-year old mother and then they could decide once she was there. I was not about to do that to her, and insisted that the Dr. speak with me. When I spoke to Dr. Flaherty and I told him of her symptoms and history, he left it to me to decide whether to go through with the surgery! Very unprofessional. I decided at that time that she would not have the surgery and we rescheduled.--but I do not feel that I was the correct person to make that decision. Briefly, after the valve placement went badly, we were told our mother was not doing well--Dr. Flaherty and Dr. Russell spoke to us. We asked them to do what they could to save her. Once she passed, he never came and spoke to us again. We never saw her alive again; she never received last rites. Poor performance by both Northwestern and its doctors. Go somewhere else and to someone else!! Find someone who cares. This was a woman who lived independently, cooked meals for herself and company every day, who was !00% mentally aware, and enjoyed life.

Saw him today and was not impressed at all. Asked me some weird questions and put even more weird notes in my chart. Hard to believe that he is a really good doctor,