Surgery of any kind is a serious matter. Making the right choice in a qualified specialist to perform one’s surgery is crucial, especially if it’s orthopedic surgery, since it involves mobility. If you’re suffering with back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, or any other orthopedic pain, surgery may be necessary to repair joints or bones to restore mobility and relieve pain. When it comes to choosing an orthopedic surgeon, there are some considerations that need to be made.
These considerations should include the experience, the education, and the credentials, as these are the most important. If your family doctor has referred you to a surgeon, these specialists are more than likely well trained and experienced doctors. If you know someone who has had successful orthopedic surgery, you may want to talk with them, which could help you find a good surgeon.
The better surgeons will utilize the advancements in surgical treatments and use the most advanced equipment for testing, like an MRI or other imaging machine. These devices provide the best images of joints, tissue and the bones to help the specialist know what’s causing your symptoms and how to treatment should be done to fix it. Working together with radiologists who’ll read these images can help the surgeon explain in detail the source of your condition.
One should ask questions of their surgeon about the procedure so that you can make an accurate decision about who’s operating on you. The surgeon should be able to provide you answers to all your questions, as well as, explain in detail the procedure and risks involved with the treatment. They should be very informative about pre-surgical procedures, along with post operative care and recovery time. Your orthopedic surgeon should express with confidence the procedure, provide previous experience in the type of surgery that’s going to be performed.
It can be beneficial to choose a surgeon that has the testing equipment and the image reading experts on the premises. This can save you from traveling place to place, as well as, have the test results more quickly. Quicker results, and diagnosis, will shorten one’s pain and discomfort.
Another consideration that should be taken into account when choosing an orthopedic surgeon is what type of procedure have they been trained in. Today there are advanced technologies that make surgical procedures easier, take less time to perform, and more precise to perform. This can mean less pain, less medication, and a quicker recovery and improved mobility for patients.
When visiting a surgeon for an initial consultation, you should expect to go through a thorough exam,
testing if necessary, a diagnosis and a treatment plan should be provided. An orthopedic surgeon should also provide assistance with payment or insurance matters, and set up physical therapy or rehabilitation when necessary.
As most healthcare providers will tell patients, having the right knowledge can make the difference in one’s healthcare, an orthopedic surgeon is no different. With knowledge comes power, and hopefully you have the power to make the right choice in your specialist.
