Are you or a family member facing serious illness or complex surgery? When the stakes are high, you want the very best care you can get. U.S.News & World Report's Best Hospitals 2013 can guide you to the top-ranked medical centers for both adults and children in specialties from cancer and heart problems to respiratory disorders and orthopedics.Plus:

• The highest-ranked medical centers in your area
• Medicine's Front Lines: Step inside the operating room for a heart transplant
• The latest advances in the battle against autism
• How to be a proactive patient
• The coming revolution in cancer treatment
• Best Diets: Should you give up meat?
• Preventing or delaying Alzheimer's disease