Choosing a neck and back surgeon is a process that requires an individual to be keen. One should play an active role. As a patient, one needs first to get a very accurate diagnosis of the cause of the pain. One should then understand the treatment options available. Surgical and nonsurgical options should be considered.
The information below gives the five basic tips that one should consider before deciding on the right doctor.
Choosing a neck and back surgeon
Consider the following;
1. Talk to the nurses
The nurses access the doctor’s results. They know the successes and the failures, and they can advise you accordingly. If possible, one should speak to a Nursing Director. Ensure he or she knows you have questions related to operating room then ask for the help to gaining access. One should also speak to nurses who walk on the floor, and they will give you patients recovery reports for various surgeons. Once one has gained access, relevant questions should be asked
2. Get specific reference
A smart surgeon will be willing to give people sample of reference from his or her previous patients. A doctor who has plenty of patients willing to be referenced is a good one. An excellent doctor clearly knows that one who is very confident about his or her decision to have surgery and have chosen a healthcare professional then the patient is going to do better after the process. If one cannot ask the surgeon for particular reference, then he or she can toss this question to a physician who recommended the specialist.
3. Asking Around
One may not do much of this, but in case there is a friend who works in the healthcare sector then it is advisable to ask her or him if it is possible to find out about a back and neck surgeon. It will take about a couple of minutes to find out the reputation of a doctor using that specialist as the healthcare globe is quite small when it comes to surgeons
4. Crowdsourcing from the Internet
Vital websites such as HealthGrades.com and rateMD.com taps into the collective wisdom of many patients. This has allowed people to rate, rank and review physicians and surgeons based on the past experiences. One should visit them and get top quality surgeon
5. Board Certification and License
Ensure the surgeon is board certified and has a license for eligibility in the own specialty by visiting great sites such as American Board of Medical Specialties to ensure the surgeon is state licensed. One should not forget to look at the outcome based ranking on the internet.
Choosing a neck and back surgeon is not easy, and it takes a lot of time while following the above points. But for an individual who considers the magnitude of potential risk plus the upsides of having a back or neck surgery, then it is worth the effort and time.