There's a lot to think about when you find out you might need surgery. At the top of the list? Finding the right surgeon for you.
When your primary care doctor says that you might need a surgical procedure, your first step will be to choose a surgeon. The best way to begin finding one who’s right for you is to ask people you trust. If you know people who have had the same procedure you need, ask if they’d recommend their surgeon. Ask your primary care physician and other doctors you know who they would choose for the procedure. Read on for other helpful insights and tips.
Look for Expertise and Training
It’s important to choose a surgeon with a lot of experience and training in the procedure you’re having. Surgeons who do more of the same procedure regularly have better results, or outcomes. Outcomes include better quality of life, less pain and fewer complications, such as infections or readmission to the hospital within 30 days. There are no set numbers that define a high volume of procedures. But during your initial appointment, you can ask the surgeons you meet with about the number of procedures they’ve performed to treat your particular problem.
Training includes where the surgeon went to medical school and did his or her residency. Whether the surgeon completed a fellowship, has a subspecialty and is board-certified also matter. A fellowship is another year of training in a specialized area, like joint replacement. Examples of subspecialties are thoracic (chest) surgery and ophthalmic (eye) surgery.
Board-certified surgeons are experts who have completed additional education and passed a rigorous test in their particular medical specialty or subspecialty. Board-eligible surgeons are usually young doctors who’ve completed their residencies and can begin the certification process when they’re ready. On their websites, most hospitals and practices include bios of their doctors that list training, subspecialties and areas of interest. To view a listing of the expert surgeons at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC), visit rwjbh.org/doctors.
Get More than One Opinion
Based on the information you’ve gathered, select at least two surgeons to meet with to get their thoughts on your case. Having a second opinion is especially important if you’re having a new or complicated procedure. Along with different opinions about whether you need surgery, surgeons may recommend different types of surgery for you. Good surgeons don’t mind when you get a second opinion, and insurance companies sometimes require a second opinion before surgery.
Take a list of questions you want to ask during your initial appointment with a surgeon. For example:
- How many times in the last year have you done this procedure?
- How do your outcomes, including complications, compare to national averages?
- What are the chances this procedure will work for me?
- Why do you recommend this procedure for me?
- What will my recovery be like?
- Do you use minimally invasive surgery for this?
- Is there any other way to treat the problem?
- What will happen if I don’t have the procedure?
- Do I have time to think about other options or get another opinion?
- Which hospital(s) are you affiliated with?
Once you’ve done all your research, think about the information you’ve found and how each surgeon you met with treated you. Then choose a surgeon you trust who has the right experience in the procedure you’re having.
MMCSC Surgical Expertise
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC) has a highly skilled and experienced surgical team that offers expertise in a host of surgical procedures, including those involving:
- Bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves and tendons (Orthopedic)
- Esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum (Digestive)
- Eyes (Ophthalmic)
- Feet and ankles (Podiatric)
- Urinary system (Urologic)
- Breasts
In addition, the hospital’s board-certified, multispecialty surgeons—experts in their fields—are always ready to provide emergent surgeries, such as a gallbladder or appendix removal. The surgical team is growing, and our surgical suites have been enhanced. “We have two new general surgeons and a new thoracic surgeon,” says Mukaram A. Gazi, MD, FACS, Chairman of Surgery and Chief of Urology at MMCSC. “We also have a staff of highly experienced surgeons who perform complex and minimally invasive surgeries for cancer and other diseases and conditions. We’re excited about our OR renovations, which will enable us to provide the highest level of surgical care using the newest technology and state-of-the-art equipment.”
Meet the newest member of our surgical team, thoracic surgeon Andrew Nguyen, MD. Dr. Nguyen, who is trained in advanced robotic thoracic (chest) surgery, works closely with our Lung Cancer Screening Program, which specializes in early detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
To find a surgeon at MMCSC, visit rwjbh.org/doctors or call 888-724-7123.