Tips for how to find one of the Bay Area's top doctors

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook is out with a listing of the Bay Area's top doctors.

Kevin Brasler is the Executive Editor of Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook and says this is important information.

How important?

"Some surgeons are four times more likely to kill you on the exact same kinds of procedures," Brasler says, "on the exact same types of patients."

To decide which doctors are included in the list statistics are looked at, patients surveyed and for specialists, other doctors' opinions are taken into account.

Brasler says the look to answer key questions "Is the doctor technically competent? Are they going to give you the best possible treatment? Are they going to give you the latest treatment? Are they going to look at all the options and pick the one that is best for you?"

The guide has lists of doctors from all around the Bay who have made the grade, including San Francisco dermatologist Dr. Peter Panagotacos.

Dr. Panagotacos' practice treats all the usual dermatological issues, but he has widely known and lectures internationally on hair restoration.

Professional model, Michael Preminger is a patient. He says his longtime dermatologist referred him to Dr. Panagotacos, "Because he is the hair specialist and I wasn't going to just go to anybody. I wanted a good referral."

Jim Yuen is also a patient and says, "He is more like a friend than a doctor. I appreciate that. So I have been with him since 2006. That is a long time."

Dr. Panagotacos has been practicing medicine for more than 40 years splitting his time between hair treatments and a general dermatology practice,

"I didn't want to be locked in to just doing one kind of cosmetic surgical procedure," said Dr. Panagotacos "so I kept it fifty-fifty for all those 43 years."

Click here for the full doctor's rating report.

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