Surgery Questions
To Ask Your Surgeon

Medical Author and Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Medical Revising Author: Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD

• What is the operation (procedure) that is recommended?
• What is the surgeon's experience with this procedure?
• What is the reason that this procedure is necessary at this time?
• What are the options if this procedure is not done?
• What is the anticipated outcome of the procedure?
• What kind of anesthesia is required for the procedure?
• What are the specific risks that this procedure involves?
• What about a second opinion?
• What is the recovery process after this procedure?
• Is this procedure covered by my insurance plan?

What is the operation (procedure) that is recommended?

Ask your surgeon for a simplified explanation of the type of operation, technique used, and reasons it should be performed. (Pictures and drawings can tell patients and family a great deal.) Why was this specific procedure chosen over possible alternatives?

What is the surgeon's experience with this procedure?

Ask the surgeon about his/her experience with this procedure, its outcome, and the hospital or setting in which the operation will be performed. Is the nursing staff accustomed to caring for patients who have had this procedure?

What is the reason that this procedure is necessary at this time?

Is the procedure being done to relieve pain, diagnose a condition, correct deformity, for cosmetic reasons, or what exact purposes? Must the procedure be performed immediately?

What are the options if this procedure is not done?

What are the nonsurgical or medical treatments available to help the condition? What will/might happen if the operation is not done? If the operation is not done at this time, can it be done later? What are the consequences if the procedure is postponed or delayed?

What is the anticipated outcome of the procedure?

What exactly are the expected or possible benefits of doing the procedure? How likely is it that these benefits will result from the procedure?

What kind of anesthesia is required for the procedure?

Is a general anesthetic necessary? Can the procedure be performed under local or regional anesthesia? Are sedatives or other medications required prior to the procedure? What are the risks of the type of anesthesia to be used?

Next: What are the specific risks that this procedure involves? »