Questions You Must Ask If You Are Contemplating
Surgery
If you have to have
surgery make sure that the surgeon still performs at least 30 operations a year
of the type you need.
And before you agree to have surgery make sure
that you know the answers to these questions:
1. What are the
alternatives? (Including treatments which do not involve surgery.)
2. What is
likely to happen to me if I do not have the operation?
3. What is the
overall success rate for this operation?
4. Are there are any other
operations which might be safer and/or more effective?
5. If you are a
pre-menopausal woman ask if the operation is more likely to be a success if you
have it done at a particular time in your menstrual cycle.
6. What are
possible/likely side effects of the operation?
7. How is the operation going
to improve my life?
8. Is the operation really suitable for me?
9. How
experienced is the surgeon who is planning to perform the operation? (Ask who is
going to perform the operation - the consultant or one of his assistants.)
10. What after care will I need? How long will I need nursing? When can I go
home? How long will I need to stay off work?
Copyright Vernon
Coleman 2011
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