It's normal to feel nervous before a surgical procedure. To solve it, be active asking a few things about the surgery you are going to undergo to the surgeon before it is time to enter the operating room. Check out the following questions to ask the surgeon.
After the doctor states that you need surgery, the next step is to choose a surgeon who suits your condition. Then, you can consult and ask the surgeon about the surgical procedure you will undergo.
Things to Ask the Surgeon
Below are some things to ask the surgeon, before surgery:
- Do I need to have this surgery?
Even if the doctor has stated that you need surgery to treat the disease, you can still ask if you really need it or there are other ways to treat the disease you are suffering from. The surgeon will provide other treatment options, if any, and explain the risks of each. You can also ask other surgeons as second opinion.
- What are the benefits, risks and side effects?
Knowing and understanding these three things is very important. The goal is to let you know what might happen if you have the surgery. Ask what risks are common and how likely are complications of surgery
- What preparations need to be made?
It is important for you to know clearly what you need to prepare before undergoing surgery. For example, whether fasting is necessary or not, how long the fast is needed, are there any other medical tests that need to be carried out, and whether it is necessary to take certain drugs. If your surgeon asks you to fast, ask clearly how long you should fast and when is the best time to start fasting. The presence of fluid or food in the stomach can cause complications and cause nausea or vomiting after or during surgery.
- How is the operation process going?
Before performing surgery, it's a good idea to know what will happen during the operation and how it will be done. You can also ask what type of anesthetic and surgical technique will be used, whether the surgery is open or using a laparoscopic technique, and how long the surgery will be.
- Who is involved in the operation?
In an operation, there will be a team that takes part in the process. So that you are more calm during surgery, of course there is nothing wrong with asking who is on your surgeon team. You may want to know if the team of doctors have a lot of experience and so on.
- How long does it take to heal?
After surgery, there are several things you need to find out what you can and cannot do, what foods and drinks you can and can't eat, how long you have to stay in the hospital, need to do physiotherapy, and so on.
Once you've decided which surgeon will treat you, ask anything you want to know. Dig up as much information as possible so that you become calmer and can better prepare for the day of surgery.
