The surgeon ChatGPT couldn’t find

I asked ChatGPT to find me the best knee surgeon in Houston. The surgeon my aunt had just seen was not among them.

My aunt lives in Houston. She had been struggling with knee pain and finally saw an orthopedic surgeon, who recommended knee replacement surgery. That evening she called me and asked for help finding a second opinion.

This is where most patients are now: asking ChatGPT or Claude for recommendations.

I asked ChatGPT for the best knee surgeons in Houston. It gave me five options, with clear information on their specialties and reviews. The surgeon my aunt had seen was not among them, nor did he appear when I asked more specifically about her area.

He may have been a brilliant surgeon, having performed hundreds of knee replacements, but according to the algorithm, he did not exist.

Who gets recommended

The surgeons who were returned had a digital footprint, with information matching the specific areas in which they specialized. They appeared on search engines, had websites that actually informed patients, responded to reviews, and had other people talking about them online.

Your patients are already doing this research. The question is whether you appear in the results. Try it today: ask an AI assistant for the best surgeon for a particular procedure in your area. Are you there?