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  • List of Questions for the Surgeon?

    Can anyone share a list of questions we should ask the surgeon during our initial consultation?
    Susanna
    ~~~~~~
    Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

  • #2
    Hi...

    I've seen lists compiled by several individuals (you can probably even find one on these forums if you search), but I'd actually discourage you from trying to use something like that. I have twice been with people who brought a list of questions to their surgeons. What happened is that the doctor sort of rushed through to answer all the questions, but skipped over things which were important. IN both cases, I thought the patients ended up being very confused.

    Instead, I'd encourage you to let the doctor do the talking. If s/he's good, s/he'll go over the treatment options, giving you a basic education on the subject. Try to listen very carefully. (I can't tell you how often I hear patients say "my doctor never told me that." I know from my own experience, that these appointments can be a bit overwhelming, so it's often difficult to take it all in.) Anyway, I suspect that you'll come up with questions as you digest the information from your appontment. Write down the questions as they come up, and then bring that list with you on your follow up appointment.

    What you need to know may be very different than what I need to know, so my advice is to use the small amount of time that you get to spend with the surgeon, as wisely as possible.

    Best of luck.

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      G'day

      The appointments can be overwhelming, scary and so much to take in all at once :-[, and when you get home you seem to forget half of it or don't quite remember. SOmething I saw my Mum and Dad do on a number of occasions was to take a little notebook and a piece of pen. I saw them do this especially when it got to the "big decision" making time. In it they would write bits and pieces that came up during the consultation, not every word the surgeon said but just bits and pieces. Such as what my curves were currently sitting at, how effective was my brace being, the next options that were going to be looked at, how my growing was going etc. On other occasions, instead of jotting down stuff during my appointment, I saw them also sit down very soon after my appointment (often whilst we were having a snack) and jot down stuff that they remembered from the appoinment, before they forgot. , and It seemed to help them, cause when we got home, I used to see them when they were discussing, mulling stuff over about the appointment with the notebook next to them as a little "memory jogger"

      Alison
      Last edited by Alison; 09-12-2004, 08:50 PM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Linda, thanks for your response. I appreciate the feedback. I am just worried about being overwhelmed in the doctor's office and missing something important. I recently had major surgery myself. I was fortunate in that one of the very best surgeons on the East Coast was a Baltimore doctor. I did a lot of research in advance online, and when I finally saw him, I knew so much about him and his techniques and his philosophy that I didn't have a lot of questions.

        This surgery is so different! Every doctor has a different opinion and approach. There are different materials they use, and very different techniques. I feel like I have to make sure to get some very basic questions answered. When I've had all her appointments, I want to be able to line up everything they've told me and and be able to remember everything they told me in order to make an intelligent and informed decision (not to mention come back here and talk about it to all of you). I don't know that I will ask the doctor question by question, but rather I'll fill it out as they review their recommendations. If there is something they've missed, I'll ask the question at the end. That way, I can hopefully avoid a bunch of follow up questions.

        Does this sound like a reasonable approach?

        Thanks again,
        Susanna
        Susanna
        ~~~~~~
        Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

        Comment


        • #5
          Another thought. Ask the doctor if they mind if you use a tape recorder to tape the conversation. You can pick up those little ones pretty cheaply. That way you will miss nothing. Do make sure to ask first though because they doctor may not like you doing this. I can't see why though.
          Best wishes.
          Cheryl.

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Alison,

            Thanks so much for your response. I will definitely write everything down. We're planning on talking to at least three doctors, and we know it will be hard to keep track of who said what. The little notebook will make all the difference!

            Susanna
            Susanna
            ~~~~~~
            Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

            Comment


            • #7
              Cheryl, thanks that's a great idea. Susanna
              Susanna
              ~~~~~~
              Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Susannah...

                I still think going with a list of questions is the wrong approach. When you're concentrating on filling in the answers, you're not going to be hearing what the doctors says. You do know, I hope, that he's not going to stop talking while you try to figure out which question he's answering. :-)

                You should ask the doctor to send you a copy of his report. That way, you'll have a record of what he says, and you can take it to appointments with other doctors. But, beware of errors. The last several reports I've read, have glaring errors. If the report doesn't match something that you think you've heard, you should ask the doctor about it.

                Just my $.02.

                Regards,
                Linda
                Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                Comment


                • #9
                  I think what you really need to know is not so much what questions to ask but what type of questions ask. You really need to not only listen to but hear what the doctor is saying. If you are thinking of what you 'have to ask next' you are going to miss what you're being told.
                  Let the doctor talk. Then ask what you feel you still need to know and ask for anything that you don't understand to be explained more fully. Good doctors will not mind you doing this.
                  The main things you need to know are: How bad are the curves? Is bracing an option? Why does she need sugery?
                  They are not going to see you once and have you in hospital before you know what's hit you. You will have plenty of chances to have your questions answered. If there is something you really want to ask by all means write it down, but you will absorb more if you go in to the appointment with a clear mind and not one full of a list of questions.
                  Best wishes.
                  Cheryl.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I actually found it really useful to take a list of questions - I gave a copy to the surgeon and brought one for myself as well. It made me feel much more confident that I wouldn't forget to ask things I had wondered about.
                    I put up a sheet on the fridge for a few weeks before we went for everyone in the family to write queries on and then typed it into a coherent form before we had our appointment.
                    Make sure one of your questions is "is there anything else I should have asked?"
                    Lorrie

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      list of questions for surgeon

                      hi sussanjon
                      its jennifer again. I also came on here before i met with the surgeon asking for a list of questions. Someone on the board sent me a list of questions to ask and i went over and typed up some of the ones that pertained to my daughter and i did bring them with me, but i didn't stand there with the piece of paper in front of me reading them. I must have looked at the paper a million times before we went and kind of knew what was important to ask and brought it with me just in case i forgot anything. the main questions i asked were:
                      - where would she be fused from?
                      - is it better to wait until she is skeletally mature? why or why not?
                      - should a thoracoplasty be done? what does it entail?
                      - how much correction would she get on her rib hump without doing a thoracoplasty?
                      - bone graft?
                      -would a brace be needed after (this was important since my daughter wouldn't wear hers before i knew she wouldn't want to wear one after)
                      -what kind of rod would be used?
                      -blood donating?
                      -how long is stay in hospital?
                      -how long out of school?
                      -would she be in icu after?
                      -do you do a wake up test?
                      those were the main things that i wanted to know, which i basically didn't even have to ask, these are the things he talked about with me.
                      hope this helps a bit.
                      jennifer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I would just like to add that if you have a good doctor you shouldn't need ask too many questions, because they will know what you are likely to ask and will tell you first. Of course there will be some things that you need to ask but it will most likely lead from something the doctor has said.
                        If you are not happy with the doctor for any reason remember that you don't have to go with that one. You can get as many opinions as you want.
                        Best wishes.
                        Cheryl.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks everybody! I really appreciate your advice!
                          Susanna
                          ~~~~~~
                          Mother of a 17 year old daughter. Her "S" curve was 40 degree thoracic from T3 to T9, and a 70 degree rotatory thorcolumbar from T9 to L4. She was operated on March 9th, 2005 by Dr. Boachie-Adjei at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She was fused from T11 to L3, using an anterior approach, and the major curve corrected to 20 degrees. She's doing great!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I have a list 3 pages long of questions as i researched i wrote down anything that could have been important or needed extra discussion..if u want them just ask.
                            CONNIE


                            Surgery June 28th 2004
                            fused T4 -L3
                            Hip graft
                            Grown 1 1/2 inches
                            25/o upper T 15/o
                            53/o T 15/o
                            37/o L 6/o
                            Dr. Micheal Nuewirth
                            New York City

                            August 6, 2004
                            Pulmonary Embolism
                            complication from surgery

                            January 2007 currently
                            increasing pain at the T4/5
                            point irratation heardwear

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