Health Care Insurance

health care safety and quality

More Questions for Safe Surgery


Recently we’ve looked at some of the questions you should ask a surgeon if they recommend surgery or an operation. We have seen that asking questions of your doctors and medical professionals can really improve the quality and safety of your healthcare.

Here we look a some questions your should ask if your doctor refers you to a specialist that you may not know. Its ok to ask what their qualifications are. You will want to know that your surgeon is experienced and qualified to perform the operation. Many surgeons have taken special training and passed exams given by a national board of surgeons. Ask if your surgeon is “board certified” in surgery. Some surgeons also have the letters F.A.C.S. after their name. This means they are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and have passed another review by surgeons of their surgical skills.

Also ask how much experience the surgeon has doing your operation? It’s a way to reduce the risks of surgery by choosing a surgeon who has been well trained to do the surgery and has plenty of experience doing it.

You can ask your surgeon about his or her recent record of successes and complications with this surgery. If it is easier for you, you can discuss the surgeon’s qualifications with your primary care doctor.

It’s important to know at which hospital will the operation be done. Most surgeons work at one or two local hospitals. Find out where your surgery will be done and how often the same operation is done there.


Research shows that patients often do better when they have surgery in hospitals with more experience in the operation. Ask your doctor about the success rate at the hospitals you can choose between. The success rate is the number of patients who improve divided by all patients having that operation at a hospital. If your surgeon suggests using a hospital with a lower success rate for your surgery, find out why.


Source: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/surgery/surgery.htm





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Posted on on July 14th, 2008 in Protect your Health, Quality Health Care, Safe Health Care | No Comments »

Recovering from Surgery

Before you have surgery it’s important to understand how long It will take you to recover? Your surgeon can tell you how you might feel and what you will be able to do, or not do, in the first few days, weeks, or months after surgery.

Ask how long you will be in the hospital.

Find out what kind of supplies, equipment, and help you will need when you go home. Knowing what to expect can help you get better faster.

Ask how long it will be before you can go back to work or start regular exercise again.

You do not want to do anything that will slow your recovery. For example light lifting may not seem to be “too much” a week after your operation, but it could be. You should follow your surgeon’s advice to make sure you recover fully as soon as possible.

Ask the Surgeon How Long You Will Be in the Hospital. Until recently most patients who had surgery stayed in the hospital overnight for 1 or more days. Today many patients have surgery done as an outpatient in a doctor’s office, a special surgical center, or a day surgery unit of a hospital. These patients have an operation and go home the same day. Outpatient surgery is less expensive because you do not have to pay for staying in a hospital room.

Ask whether your operation will be done in the hospital or in an outpatient setting.

Ask which of these is the usual way the surgery is done. If your doctor recommends that you stay overnight in the hospital (have inpatient surgery) for an operation that is usually done as outpatient surgery—or recommends outpatient surgery that is usually done as inpatient surgery ask why. You want to be in the right place for your operation.


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Posted on on July 6th, 2008 in Protect your Health, Quality Health Care, Safe Health Care | No Comments »

Get a second opinion about your operation


What If I Don’t Have This Operation? If you’ve asked your surgeon about the benefits and risks of the operation you might decide not to have it. Ask your surgeon what you will gain, or lose, by not having the operation right now. Could you be in more pain? Could your condition get worse? Could the problem go away?You might want to get a second opinion. Getting a second opinion from another doctor is a very good way to make sure that having the operation is the best choice for you. You can ask your primary care doctor for the name of another surgeon who could review your medical file. If you consult another doctor, make sure to get your records from the first doctor so that your tests do not have to be repeated.

Many health insurance plans ask patients to get a second opinion before they have certain operations that are not for an emergency. If your plan does not require a second opinion, you may still ask to have one. Check with your insurance company to see if they will pay for a second opinion. You should discuss your insurance questions with your health insurance company or your employee benefits office. If you are eligible for Medicare, they will pay for a second opinion.

Source: http://www.ahrq.gov


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Posted on on July 4th, 2008 in Getting Help, Protect your Health, Quality Health Care, Safe Health Care | 1 Comment »