Considering surgery?Have you been told that you need to have surgery? If so, you are not alone. Millions of older Americans have surgery each year. Most surgeries are not emergencies. You have time to find out as much as possible about the surgery, think the matter over, and review other options. You also have time to get a second opinion. Questions to Ask Deciding to have surgery can be difficult, but an informed decision may be easier to make once you know why surgery is necessary and whether there are other treatment choices. Your surgeon can help. Talk with your surgeon about your condition and the surgery recommended. Don't hesitate to ask the surgeon any questions you might have. For example, do the benefits of surgery outweigh the risks? Your surgeon should welcome your questions. If you don't understand something, ask the surgeon to explain it more clearly. The answers to the following questions will help you become informed and make the best decision. * What surgery is recommended? * Why do I need surgery? * Can another treatment be tried instead of surgery? * What if I don't have the surgery? * How will the surgery affect my health and lifestyle? * Are there any activities that I won't be able to do after surgery? * How long will it take to recover? * How much experience has the surgeon had doing this kind of surgery? * Where will the surgery be done--in the hospital, the doctor's office, a special surgical center, or a day surgery unit of a hospital? * What kind of anesthesia will be used? What are the side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. and risks of having anesthesia? * Is there anything else I should know about this surgery? Choosing a Surgeon Your primary care doctor may recommend a surgeon to you. You also may want to identify another independent surgeon to get a second opinion. One way to reduce the risk of surgery is to choose a surgeon who has been thoroughly trained to do the type of surgery you need and who has plenty of experience doing it. Be sure to ask about your surgeon's qualifications. For example, you may want to find out if your surgeon is certified by a surgical board that is approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a non-profit umbrella organization for the 24 approved medical specialty boards in the United States. It is the leading entity overseeing physician certification in the United States. (such as the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, or other national surgical board). Surgeons who are board-certified have successfully completed training and passed exams for their specialty. The letters "FACS FACS Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. FACS abbr. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons FACS fluorescence-activated cell sorter. " after a surgeon's name tell you that he or she is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, often listed as "FACS", is a post-nominal title used to indicate that the surgeon's education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation, and have been found to be . Fellows are almost always board-certified surgeons who have passed a test of their surgical training and skills; they also have shown their commitment to high standards of ethical conduct. Don't hesitate to call the doctor's office and ask for this information. Your State or local medical society and the hospital where the surgeon operates also should be able to verify his or her training. Try to choose an experienced surgeon who operates regularly (several times a week) and who has treated a problem like yours before. Getting a Second Opinion Getting a second opinion from another surgeon is a good way to make sure that having surgery is the best choice for you. Many people are uneasy about seeking another opinion. They worry that they might offend their doctor. However, getting a second opinion is a common medical practice. Most doctors encourage it. Getting a second opinion is a good way to get additional expert advice from another doctor who knows a lot about treating your particular medical problem. In addition, a second opinion can reassure you that your decision to have surgery is the right one. Don't be afraid to tell your surgeon that you want another opinion and that you would like your medical records sent to the second doctor. This can save time, money, and possible discomfort since tests that you've already had may not need to be repeated if the second doctor has the results. When getting another opinion, tell the second doctor your symptoms, the type of surgery that has been recommended, and the results of any tests you've already had. Ask the second doctor the same questions you asked the first one about the benefits and risks of surgery. Medicare and many private health insurance companies will help pay for a second opinion. Most Medicaid programs also pay for a second opinion. If the second doctor agrees that surgery is needed, he or she usually will refer you back to the first doctor for the surgery. If the second doctor disagrees with the first, you may feel you have enough information to decide what to do, you may wish to talk again with the first surgeon, or you may wish to see a third doctor. Your primary care doctor also may be able to help you decide what to do. Informed Consent Before having surgery, you'll be asked to give consent. It's important to discuss all of your concerns about your condition and the surgery with your surgeon before you sign this form. In most cases, your surgeon will volunteer a great deal of information, but don't hesitate to ask any questions you still have. Your doctor should be willing to take whatever time is necessary to make sure that you are fully informed. Paying for Surgery Before your surgery, ask about your surgeon's fees. Many surgeons volunteer this information; if yours doesn't, don't hesitate to ask. You can find out about hospital rates from the hospital business office. Your doctor should be able to tell you how long you can expect to be in the hospital. Today, many types of surgery can be performed without hospitalization. Your surgeon will be able to decide if that's possible in your case. In addition to surgeons' fees and the costs of hospitalization, you also will be billed for the professional services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. of others involved in your care such as the anesthesiologist Anesthesiologist A medical specialist who administers an anesthetic to a patient before he is treated. Mentioned in: Anesthesia, General, Appendectomy, Parathyroidectomy anesthesiologist and medical consultants. You may want to check your health insurance plan to see what portion of the costs you'll have to pay. You probably will need approval from your health insurance plan before surgery. If your insurance plan will not pay all of the anticipated costs and you cannot afford the difference, discuss this situation frankly with your surgeon. Most people 65 and older have Medicare health insurance, which has two parts: Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Medicare Part A helps pay your hospital bill. It covers a semiprivate sem·i·pri·vate adj. Shared with usually one to three other hospital patients: a semiprivate room. Adj. 1. room, meals, general nursing, and other hospital services and supplies. It does not pay for private duty nursing, a television or telephone in your room, or a private room, unless medically necessary medically necessary Managed care adjective Referring to a covered service or treatment that is absolutely necessary to protect and enhance the health status of a Pt, and could adversely affect the Pt's condition if omitted, in accordance with accepted . For more information about Medicare coverage, call the toll-free helpline at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). For More Information The American College of Surgeons This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. (ACS (Asynchronous Communications Server) See network access server. ) has information for the public. When You Need an Operation answers many questions that patients have about surgery. Frequently Performed Operations is a series of brochures on specific types of surgery such as hysterectomy hysterectomy (hĭstərĕk`təmē), surgical removal of the uterus. A hysterectomy may involve removal of the uterus only or additional removal of the cervix (base of the uterus), fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and ovaries , hernia repair Hernia Repair Definition Hernia repair is a surgical procedure to return an organ that protrudes through a weak area of muscle to its original position. , gall bladder gall bladder, small pear-shaped sac that stores and concentrates bile. It is connected to the liver (which produces the bile) by the hepatic duct. When food containing fat reaches the small intestine, the hormone cholecystokinin is produced by cells in the intestinal surgery, and others. For free copies, contact the ACS at 633 North St. Clair, Chicago, IL 60611; telephone 312-202-5399. The ACS website address is http://www.facs.org. Free booklets on what you should know about anesthesia are available from the American Society of Anesthesiologists The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an association of physicians (primarily anesthesiologists) whose stated goal is to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient. at 520 Northwest Highway Northwest Highway is the name of several highways in the United States:
For more information about health and aging, contact the National Institute on Aging The National Institute on Aging is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland. Formed in 1974, NIA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research. It is the primary U.S. Information Center at 1-800-222-2225 or 1-800-222-4225 (TTY (TeleTYpewriter) See teletypewriter and TDD/TTY. (hardware) tty - /tit'ee/ (ITS pronunciation, but some Unix people say it this way as well; this pronunciation is not considered to have sexual undertones), /T T Y/ 1. teletypewriter. 2. ). The website address is http://www.nih.gov/nia. The NIA NIA National Institute on Aging (NIH) NIA National Indoor Arena (UK) NIA National Intelligence Agency (South Africa and Thailand) NIA National Institute of Accountants distributes a number of other free Age Pages, including "Hospital Hints" and "Choosing a Doctor." |
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