Recommendations
Ask for referrals.
The best place to start looking is with your
friends and others you know who may have already
undergone a similar procedure to the one you are
considering. Remember everyone has different
expectations. Ask for word-of-mouth referrals
from your friends, a trusted family physician or
a respected hospital in the community.
Ask if the surgeon is board-certified and
what his/her specialized training is.
To narrow down your list, look for a surgeon who
is board-certified by boards affiliated with the
American Board of Medical Specialists, such as
the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, the
American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American
Board of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery)
or others. Many board-certified surgeons also
have undertaken additional years of training in
particular specializations. Check to see which
ones the physicians you are interviewing have
taken and verify his or her credentials with
those Boards or the County Medical Society. You
may also inquire with State Board of Medical
Examiners as to any lawsuits or legal actions
taken against the physician for such actions as
unethical behavior or malpractice. Inquire as to
how many procedures of the type you are
considering have been done weekly, monthly or
each year. Remember the more procedures a
physician does the better at it he is and the
better the outcome is likely to be. Practice
does make perfect in this case. Will the surgeon
have any residents or fellows assisting him/her?
You may not find or want to be the perfect
teaching case.
Ask about the doctor’s hospital privileges.
Some surgical procedures can be safely performed
in the doctor’s office or another surgical
facility. However, most accredited hospitals
have review committees that evaluate a surgeon’s
training and competency for specific procedures
before granting hospital operating privileges.
This would provide another measure of assurance.
The physician should be in good standing with
the medical staff at the hospital with
privileges to perform the surgery contemplated.
Keep in mind if you have some underlying medical
problems, such as cardiac or respiratory
disease, it may be safer to perform the surgery
in the hospital compared to the outpatient
setting.
Interview or consult with your short list.
Once you have received recommendations and
narrowed your choices down to a short list, be
sure to interview the various physicians or
their office staff to make sure you will be
comfortable with that group. Be prepared with
questions and write down the answers you are
given so you will have a basis of comparison
afterwards.
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