Birth defects, injuries and traumas, and conditions such as arthritis can affect the quality of your life. As you strive to turn the situation around, among the measures that can help is orthopedic surgery. The surgery targets the musculoskeletal system, helping you to address a range of issues relating to ligaments, nerves, bones, joints, and muscles, to mention a few. While effective, like any surgery, there are risks and complications. You could experience bleeding, blood coagulation, nerve damage, infection, anesthesia reaction, to mention a few concerns. As such, before you dive in, ensuring that you choose a reliable orthopedic surgeon can’t be stressed enough. Here is how you can choose a surgeon for the best orthopedic surgery results.
Referrals
Professional referrals are an excellent resource and starting point as you look for a surgeon. Your primary doctor can help you pick the best orthopedic surgeon from their professional network. A respected surgeon within the medical community is less likely to disappoint. You can also talk to people in your social circles, including relatives and trustworthy friends. Ask if they’ve had orthopedic surgery or know someone who has and get their input. See if they were satisfied with the results, comfortable with the care delivered, happy with the bedside manner, among other experiences. If they needed another orthopedic operation, would they go back to the surgeon? Information from reliable sources makes it easier to narrow the options, leaving you with a shorter list for further vetting.
Talk to your insurer
Is the orthopedic surgeon in your insurance network? Ensuring that your insurance covers the surgery is among the wisest financial decisions as you address the issue. Apart from financial consideration, your insurer can also provide an opinion to help you pick the best orthopedic surgeon. For instance, they can tell you more about a surgeon since they’ve come across many medical professionals in their line of work. This can help you to make a more informed pick.
Research
Who are the doctors, their academic qualifications, and their specialty? Is the facility well equipped with cutting-edge tools, enough assistants, and therapists? A quick visit to the orthopedic surgeon’s website can help you. Read through the bios, reviews, and other resources. You’ll find enough information to help you establish if the facility is the best for your needs. For instance, you can establish if they specialize in certain lines such as bunions, have the best technology, their customer satisfaction rates, among others. Looking at the pictures is also good, especially if you have personal preferences such as gender or certain appearance. Don’t discount it; you want a surgeon you’ll like to facilitate smooth progress.
Visit the facility
You have an idea of what to expect from the service, but nothing beats a physical visit. During the visit, you can establish where the surgery will take place, the devices that’ll be used, the surgeon, and other stuff. You’ll get the vibe of the facility, ensuring that you pick a service matching your expectations.
You’ve chosen the best orthopedic surgeon; what’s next? Now you can schedule the appointments, including pre-surgical training and physical therapy. Don’t forget to communicate with your insurer, ensuring that the finances are in order.
