What questions to ask your surgeon.

[buckeye95]

Hello all,

I am quickly approaching my 2nd and 3rd opinion surgical appointments (after being told that I need surgery for my 60 degree curve that continues to progress). I am trying to compile a list of "important" questions to ask my doctor....without being a pain in his butt.

Are there any questions that you all wish you would have asked before surgery, or that you think are important? If so please forward.

I am the kind of person that is much more relaxed if I feel adequately prepared.

Thanks,
Anita

[jrnyc]

have you discussed minimally invasive approach with surgeon?

best of luck
jess

[buckeye95]

I have not discussed much with the doctors at this point, as I was kind of in shock when my current ortho. said that not having surgery was no longer an option. He doesn't do a lot of adult scoliosis surgeries...that is why I am looking at other doctors.

I have appts with Dr. Bridwell (St. Louis) & Dr. Lehner (Dayton). Dr. Lehner is is only 1 1/2 hrs away. Dr. Bridwell is about 6 hours away. I have no idea what type of hardware/surgeries they will suggest. I have appts the beginning of November.

I have heard a lot about Bridwell, but nothing about Lehner. If you have experience with either of these doctors I would love to hear about it.

Does anyone have experience with Apatech or Universal Clamp? What is the "best" hardware/surgery? I have an S curve---60 degree thoracic with a compensatory lumbar curve.

Thanks for all your help.

[LisaB]

Hi Anita - I have my 8 week follow up appt with Bridwell tomorrow. I've been very happy with everything. I'll fill you in after my appointment. Maybe it will generate some question ideas. I think I asked him how far he would fuse and why. How much correction did he think I would get. Would my rib hump go away or at least be reduced. He just kind of started talking after looking at my x- rays and at me. Then Bernie, his nurse, spends some time with you going over more of the details.

[LindaRacine]

Hi Anita...

I feel strongly that you should not go to see a doctor with a list of questions that you did not generate on your own. If you do go in with a list of questions that may or may not have any bearing on your own treatment, I can almost guarantee that you'll go away confused. Your time with the surgeon is best spent listening to what their recommendations are. The one question that will be the most helpful is to find out how you can get future questions answered.

I would also not get concerned with the specifics about the type or brand of implants. Find a doctor you feel you can trust, and trust that s/he'll use what's best for you.

Regards,
Linda

[golfnut]

Linda,
Thanks for your recommendation of not asking so many questions. I guess I should not bring my 5 typed pages of questions for Dr. Lenke at my pre-op appointment.

[LindaRacine]

Linda,
Thanks for your recommendation of not asking so many questions. I guess I should not bring my 5 typed pages of questions for Dr. Lenke at my pre-op appointment.

If they're questions that you've honestly thought of yourself, and really need to know, then go for it (although I can't imagine you could even begin to digest that much).

While I think that surgeons are impressed with intelligent, thoughtful questions, I think they can spot a composed list a mile away, and will probably assign the task of answering everything to a resident, PA, or nurse.

--Linda

[Snoopy]

Karen,

To add to what Linda already said, if you do take a list of questions, make sure to put them in the order of importance to you, that way, if you don't get a chance to ask all of your questions, at least you should be able to get the most important ones answered. I always took a list of questions with me whenever I took my daughter to a doctor's appointment, and I found that the doctor usually answered the important ones before I had to ask.

Mary Lou

[golfnut]

I am planning to make a new list of the questions that ONLY Dr. Lenke could answer for the pre-op appointment and ask Kelly, his nurse, the more minor questions. I think it's only appropriate that I let Dr. Lenke do the majority of the talking. When he's finished, he may have already answered my questions.

[junosand]

questions for doc

golfnut and LindaRacine i think are right on; even with my background i had a million questions about the surgery; i recommend starting with the wolpert book: Scoliosis Surgery: The Definitive Patient's Reference and this forum which answered 99% of my questions; Dr Lenke is very busy and i wanted to respect his time so i made 2 lists, one of questions i thought only Dr Lenke could answer and the other for Kelly; they turned out to be pretty short lists