Questions to ask your surgeon before saying "let's do it!"
In director John Hughes's 1989 movie "Uncle Buck," Buck (John Candy) is the last person you'd trust to baby-sit your kids. But a family emergency puts him in charge of his nephews and niece. Eight-year-old nephew Miles grills Buck about his credentials:
"Do you have a house?"
"Apartment," replies Buck.
"Own or rent?" asks Miles.
"Rent."
"Where's your office?"
"I don't have one."
If you're choosing a surgeon, you want to be as discerning as Miles, and you need better answers. Once you've eliminated other treatment options - such as physical therapy, medication or lifestyle changes - here are the questions to ask to make sure you're in good hands:
-How often do you perform this surgery? (The surgeon should do the procedure multiple times weekly.)
-What's your success rate, and what complications occur most frequently? How do you deal with them?
-Are you board certified? Are you a member of the American College of Surgeons? (No? Look elsewhere.)
-What's your infection rate? What's the rate of infections at the institution where you will perform the surgery?
-What anesthesia is usually employed for this? If the answer is "general" or "regional" (spinal or nerve block), follow up with, "Will I meet the anesthesiologist?" (No? Go elsewhere. Yes? Ask the same questions about his or her training.)
-If it applies: "Do you usually work with a particular physical therapist or rehabilitation center?"
-How can I contact you if I have more questions?
If you're satisfied with the answers, get it done, and look forward to getting better soon!
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read more http://cdn.kingfeatures.com/rss/feed/editorial/index.php?content=YouDocTips_20170113