Making the Cut Why choosing the right surgeon matters even more than you know

[LiberalElite]

https://www.propublica.org/article/surgery-risks-patient-safety-surgeon-matters?google_editors_picks=true

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In February 2012, LaVerne Stiles went to Citrus Memorial Hospital near her home in central Florida for what should have been a routine surgery.

The bubbly retired secretary had been in a minor car accident weeks earlier. She didn’t worry much about her sore neck until a scan detected a broken bone.

The operation she needed, a spinal fusion, is done tens of thousands of times a year without incident. Stiles, 71, had a choice of three specially trained surgeons at Citrus Memorial, which was rated among the top 100 nationally for spinal procedures.
-snip-

xposted in Health group

[hollysmom]

1. heh, years ago I had gall stones, I went to what I was told was the best gall bladder surgeon

This story is about 40 years old, so keep that in mind - I came with some concerns because I had other stomach issues and wanted to make sure this was the right thing to do for myself and I wanted to know why he did not want to do the three tiny whole incisions instead of cutting my stomach muscles and keeping me in the hospital for days (it was a new practice at the time). So he told me that surgery was scheduled for the next week without examining me, and when I asked him questions, he said not to worry about anything and then handed me that happy gall bladder sad gall bladder coloring book. I objected and he told me not to bother him. I later read that week he was the leading surgeons doing the laparoscopic gall bladder surgery - but not an option for me???
I went home and did some research and found a lemon juice treatment that reduced the pain, then I am a great believer to heal myself when possible, (not enough that I got the surgical treatment for cancer when I developed that 5 years ago). I never went back to that doctor or showed up for that surgery, I never told him to schedule it so screw him. I walked miles a day while visualizing breaking up gall stones, drank lemon in water every day, still do, and the pain lessened in time and finally went completely away, Now and then I will still have a twinge, like once every few years, and I start walking again, but never had the surgery and didn't die like he told me I would.

Yeah make sure you never have an ass hole doctor. that is for sure.

[840high]

3. I use Milk Thistle when my gb acts up.

[LiberalElite]

4. I had mine out in 2003-

I just went to the surgeon my PCP referred me to. I didn't think of investigating her regarding credentials or disciplinary actions or anything. She removed it laparascopically with no problems.

[hollysmom]

5. most people are fine, I just felt if this guy had so little regard that he gave a coloring book to

a 40 year old woman, to explain surgery, he really would not care so much if I died or something else happened.

I have to say that after I read that the anesthesiologist is the person who will kill you in most operations, I demanded to meet my anesthesiologist before the operation and I think it saved my life one time. I was going to have knee surgery because of an accident, I was told I would be awake, ha ha, that didn't happen they put me out. But when I met the guy before the operation, something seemed off, I asked for a different one, the doctor said I could not have one, there was no one else who would be paid from my insurance. I told him I would walk, he came up with someone who would cost me out of pocket money, Net him and he was fine. He did ask what I considered a requisite question - how much did I way did I have any sensitivities/allergies, which I do have. I was sharing a room with a doctor's wife who was getting her nose done, she decided they could afford it and she always wanted a smaller nose. so they take us off to our separate operating rooms. I was in the recovery room and heard so much noise, I just wanted to sleep but there was creaming and loud noises, so I sat up and a nurse started screaming at me, why was I awake I was supposed to be out for a while yet, but there were so many people in the room shouting they took me out of the recovery room. My husband said I was not supposed to be out yet, he said the woman with the nose job was out and her husband, the doctor, was running up and down the halls screaming at the staff, she would not come out of the anesthesia. MY then husband did not tell his wife got the one I refused. Then they decided they wanted us out of the hospital less than 1/2 hour later, but I still could not walk, was supposed to still be recovering, but the whole place was still chaotic, the woman had not come out of recovery yet. I don't know if she every recovered, but I still demand to see the anesthesiologist first, even for a colonoscopy.

[LiberalElite]

6. Yikes! I've been very fortunate - and

you're right about him giving you that coloring book. I get a colonoscopy next week but it's with the same doctors who haven't killed me yet lol.

[Marie Marie]

2. Just remember:

There are surgeons and doctors out there who graduated at the bottom of their class. I once worked at a medical facility who had a Medical Director who graduated from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. He loved to brag about the fact that the first couple of years at Medical school, he didn't understand a word of Spanish. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't thank the sky Gods that this man wasn't actually practicing medicine with actual patients.