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How does one choose a good Surgeon and/or know that the procedure is even called for?
Medicine is a VERY complicated Business. Having felt pain in my groin and movement of "something", I visited my internist. He found nothing and suggested a strain. I went to a second internist for another opinion. He found nothing. The discomfort persisted, so did I. I visited a third internist who insisted i was fine. Then why did I have pain? Frustration led me to call my primary internist again. He referred me to a general surgeon. This doctor told me that i had a double hernia. Should not the other doctors have been able to detect what i could feel by my own hand I asked. No.
General Surgeon tells me that 2 methods are available for this procedure. Traditional and laparoscopic. He recommended traditional. I said sure. After surgery which is painful, the pain continued in a different form. Revisits to the surgeon, my internist and second opinion internists produced the general statement that everything is fine, that the pain will fade. The internet will give you any answer you want if you look long enough. I'm not a doctor and can't evaluate this information for myself. I recently visited another surgeon who stated that the surgery was done poorly. He can still feel the hernia, as can I, but not a slew of other internists. Surgeon # 2 is ready to use the laparoscopic procedure to fix the botched work of # 1. How do I know that he's correct in his assessment? Easy, I go to surgeon # 3 for another opinion. This way, in the matter of surgery, which is fairly serious to me, i will have 3 surgeon's opinions (one of which failed me) to create a simple majority with a huge room for error. I spoke to a 4th internist for help in deciphering which is the best option. He can't offer an opinion because he is not a surgeon.
How does one choose a good surgeon and know that the advice given is correct?
Denver Cannon
Who is the best surgeon you have worked with?
Have you worked with this surgeon and what was the experience like?
Remember that people can be biased and give distorted views.
Surgeons are trained to hold bias of technique, others have biases based on their particular abilities.
I have worked with surgeons who many considered barbaric in their practice of medicine, yet had shorter recovery times and less infections. Other surgeons were compassionate and informative, clinically exceptional, but their surgical technique and post op results were less impressive. I have not been impressed with professional referral services primarily because of their clinical and formal criteria can be distorted.
The real problem is that we usually wait until we are in no condition to decide. Pain clouds judgment. When I had my hernia repaired I was fortunate to have an exceptional surgeon, who gave me the option of repair I choose. Also the fact that I had assisted with several hundred repairs by several surgeons prior to the need was beneficial.
Is the procedure necessary? This is one I cannot answer for you and will leave to those who are better trained and informed in diagnosis and prognosis. I know my repair was necessary being unable to function normally. And post op my health rapidly improved. I have witnessed cases where the repair was postponed that cause life threatening health issues and if pain persist, demand care.
I recommend increasing your social network to include people of all specialties in an outside of health care. While healthy, lunch at hospitals, visit with the staff, they love talking about their profession, normally.(biased)