In my opinion, Donahue is worth the wait. I have no first hand knowledge of Thompson. From the reviews on this website and others, it appears that Thompson is a skilled surgeon, but has a poor "bedside manner." Many report that Thompson improved their condition, but still complain about how he treated them. I understand your fears about air travel. It was a challenge for me to travel from the Washington DC area to Boston to see Donahue. I always took nonstop flights even though they were more expensive.