There may come a point in your life when you require a medical procedure. It doesn’t matter if it’s a minor procedure or an advanced surgery, nothing changes the fact that you’re sure to be nervous.
Among the many things rushing through your head is the potential for a mistake to occur during the procedure. There are many ways to protect against trouble, with choosing the right surgeon the best place to start.
When you have the right medical team on your side, you can put your mind at ease as you prepare for your surgery.
Here are five questions to ask when interviewing a potential surgeon:
- What are my surgical options? There may be more than one type of surgery available to address your issue. For example, discussing the pros and cons of minimally invasive and open surgery is something you may need to do.
- What are the potential complications? Even if complications are rare, you still want to know what could possibly go wrong. This allows you to prepare for every possible situation.
- How often have you performed this type of surgery? You don’t want to decide on a surgeon who is new to the procedure you require. Instead, find someone who has successfully performed the procedure many times in the past.
- What are my risks? This goes along with discussing potential complications. Understanding your risks, such as the possibility of additional injury or even death, allows you to make an informed decision.
- How long does the surgery take? The answer to this question won’t alter what you do next, but it’s something you need to know. There’s a big difference between a procedure that takes an hour and one that lasts five hours or more.
Protect yourself by interviewing several surgeons before making a final decision. You’ll still be nervous about your procedure, but knowing you’ve selected a competent surgeon will give you peace of mind.
Unfortunately, even with an experienced surgeon at the helm, an error could still occur. If this happens, find out what went wrong, receive follow up care and learn more about the steps you can take to hold the negligent party responsible for the error and related damages.