Choosing a Surgery Specialist

While you will probably not be golfing with him or her anytime soon (nor would you likely want to!), you should learn a few things about the person that is about to perform surgery on you. When choosing a surgeon, you should ask the questions listed here. Some of them may seem personal or difficult, but remember, this person is going to have your life in their hands. You are permitted to respectfully ask some pointed questions.

 

1.       Are you board certified in surgery? Are you board certified in surgical subspecialty? Surgeons must go through years of training to become surgeons. After finishing four years of medical school there is anywhere from five to nine years or more of surgical residency that needs to be completed. When residencies and fellowships are completed, the surgeon is usually ready to take their boards. This is essentially a very challenging exam that tests the surgical resident on their ability to perform surgery and manage patients. The term “Board Eligible” means that the resident surgeon has completed all of the requirements of residency and/or fellowship and has not yet taken the final exam.

 

2.       If a surgeon is board eligible, ask when he or she is going to take the exam. It may be that he or she has not had the time to take the exam. The best answer to hear is that the exam has been scheduled. Other answers such as “I have not had time” may be very true, but they are not very comforting.

3.       How many surgeries of this type have you performed? You will want to know how many they have “scrubbed in on” as well as lead. Remember that medical students can “scrub in on” a surgery during medical school. That certainly does not mean that they are leading the case or even know everything that is going on during the case. Surgical residents get increasing responsibility as they progress through residency. The true number of completed cases is the ones that were performed, not just “opened and closed.”

4.       What is the average complication rate? What is your complication rate? This will let you know two things, one how tricky and complex the surgery is and two, how good your surgeon is. You can check complication rates for particular surgeries online. If it is very far different from the one quoted, consider that when choosing a surgeon. The surgeons individual complication rate should be at or below the one quoted.

5.       How is called shared among your practice partners? Will you be available or will someone else? Surgeons are busy and they are most happy in surgery. The “before and after stuff” is less interesting to them. Make sure they are available to you in case you do have a complication or if the surgery needs to be revised. A busy surgeon is usually a good surgeon. A surgeon that is too busy to see patients is not an ideal choice.