Spinal surgery is a serious decision to be made if your back problems are not improving through the usage of normal treatment.
Your doctor should firstly go through the explanation of your problem and outline the possible treatments that can be tried.
However, for very serious conditions, sometimes surgery is the only option or the last option for many.
If you have reached this point, there are several aspects to take into consideration.
Your doctor will probably assign you to a spinal surgeon that is connected to the same medical institution or a surgeon they have known and been happy to recommend to previous patients.
While the advice of your doctor should be taken into consideration, there are also several other options to think about.
As the profession of doctors and surgeons becomes more commercial, it is important for you to get involved into the medical decisions that will affect your life.
After all, you are the person who will have to live with the repercussions for the rest of your life.
The surgeon who will perform your surgery should be examined before making the decision or choosing the right one for you.
Here are a few tips to choose a good spine specialist: Certified It may sound obvious but it is better to clarify if the surgeon is board certified.
Check with your state medical board if you feel the need to confirm that your surgeon is fully certified.
Comfort A surgeon who is easy to approach and ask questions is definitely something to look out for.
It is important that you feel comfortable to be able to ask any questions and discuss any concerns you may have in relation to the surgery.
How much time does the surgeon spend on spinal conditions? This needs to be confirmed initially when you start to approach several surgeons.
Not all surgeons will spend their time treating the same conditions, in fact, many surgeons do specialize in several fields.
You are looking for a surgeon who mainly deals with spinal conditions.
Experience with your specific problem This follows on from the previous point, You have found several surgeons who specialize in spinal conditions.
However, you should now start looking at this in more detail to discover which surgeons have experience in your specific condition.
Past patients experiences Any good surgeon should be happy to supply you with references or put you in contact with previous patients.
This can be very good, especially for people who are very worried about the surgery and any outcomes.
Insurance Surgery is never cheap and surgeons are experts in their field, doing very difficult and specialized work.
Therefore, it is important to know if you can afford it, will your insurance cover it and does the surgeon work with your insurance company.
All are very important to consider from the beginning.
Second opinion Sometimes, you may want to have a second opinion on your surgery.
After all, surgery is a big step and an important decision to make.
If you do want a second opinion, check with your surgeon and let them know.
In fact, their attitude to your request may play a big role on who you choose for the surgery.
A spine surgeon who is not happy that you want a second opinion is probably afraid someone will contradict his professional opinion.
This would mean that they are more worried about themselves rather than the patient, not a good sign.
Your doctor should firstly go through the explanation of your problem and outline the possible treatments that can be tried.
However, for very serious conditions, sometimes surgery is the only option or the last option for many.
If you have reached this point, there are several aspects to take into consideration.
Your doctor will probably assign you to a spinal surgeon that is connected to the same medical institution or a surgeon they have known and been happy to recommend to previous patients.
While the advice of your doctor should be taken into consideration, there are also several other options to think about.
As the profession of doctors and surgeons becomes more commercial, it is important for you to get involved into the medical decisions that will affect your life.
After all, you are the person who will have to live with the repercussions for the rest of your life.
The surgeon who will perform your surgery should be examined before making the decision or choosing the right one for you.
Here are a few tips to choose a good spine specialist: Certified It may sound obvious but it is better to clarify if the surgeon is board certified.
Check with your state medical board if you feel the need to confirm that your surgeon is fully certified.
Comfort A surgeon who is easy to approach and ask questions is definitely something to look out for.
It is important that you feel comfortable to be able to ask any questions and discuss any concerns you may have in relation to the surgery.
How much time does the surgeon spend on spinal conditions? This needs to be confirmed initially when you start to approach several surgeons.
Not all surgeons will spend their time treating the same conditions, in fact, many surgeons do specialize in several fields.
You are looking for a surgeon who mainly deals with spinal conditions.
Experience with your specific problem This follows on from the previous point, You have found several surgeons who specialize in spinal conditions.
However, you should now start looking at this in more detail to discover which surgeons have experience in your specific condition.
Past patients experiences Any good surgeon should be happy to supply you with references or put you in contact with previous patients.
This can be very good, especially for people who are very worried about the surgery and any outcomes.
Insurance Surgery is never cheap and surgeons are experts in their field, doing very difficult and specialized work.
Therefore, it is important to know if you can afford it, will your insurance cover it and does the surgeon work with your insurance company.
All are very important to consider from the beginning.
Second opinion Sometimes, you may want to have a second opinion on your surgery.
After all, surgery is a big step and an important decision to make.
If you do want a second opinion, check with your surgeon and let them know.
In fact, their attitude to your request may play a big role on who you choose for the surgery.
A spine surgeon who is not happy that you want a second opinion is probably afraid someone will contradict his professional opinion.
This would mean that they are more worried about themselves rather than the patient, not a good sign.
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