How the Directory Score Works
Every center, hospital and surgeon practice in the directory gets a Directory Score from 0 to 100. Organic rankings on procedure, city and home pages, and in the Top rated menu, are ordered by this score. Visitors can re-sort lists by price, rating or review count. Some centers, clinics and surgeons pay for advertising. Paid placements are labeled Sponsored and may be shown above organically ranked listings; payment does not change the Directory Score number itself. The score is not a recommendation or a measure of medical quality.
| Part | Points | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Rating quality | 35 | Average star rating across all review sites and reviews left here, adjusted toward the directory average (4.55 stars) as if each center had 10 extra average reviews. This keeps a perfect score from a handful of reviews from outranking a long record. 3.5 stars or lower earns 0; 5.0 earns full points. |
| Review volume | 15 | Total number of reviews on a logarithmic scale, with full points at 1,000 reviews. Each extra review counts, but the first few hundred count the most. |
| Review sources | 20 | Number of separate review platforms with rated reviews (for example Google or map listings, Yelp, BBB, RealSelf, WhatClinic, Doctoralia, BariatricSurgeons.com). One platform earns 0; full points at 5 or more. Reviews spread across separate sites are harder to concentrate or filter, so a wider footprint indicates a more established provider. |
| Surgeon experience | 20 | Years the lead surgeon has been in practice, from the practice website, professional profiles or directory listings. Full points at 25 years. |
| Center history | 10 | Years since the center, hospital or practice was founded. Full points at 20 years. |
Example
Review points only: a 5.0 average from 100 reviews earns 44.0 of 50. A 4.9 average from 300 reviews earns 44.8 of 50. A 4.5 average from 1,000 reviews earns 38.3 of 50.
Center and surgeon reviews
Reviews of a surgeon who operates at a center (for example on Doctoralia, RealSelf or BariatricSurgeons.com) count toward that center's score, because patients are treated by that team. On each profile they are shown separately from reviews of the center itself.
Missing information
If we cannot find a published source for a surgeon's experience or a center's founding year, that part scores 0 until it is documented. Providers can claim their listing and send a source, such as a license record, hospital profile or dated announcement, and we will update the score.
The score is a summary of public information. It is not a measure of surgical outcomes or safety, and it is not medical advice. Check a surgeon's certification with the Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía General and talk with your own doctor.