No surgery is small. For example my dad, over a decade ago now, had an outpatient, elective surgery to address acid reflux. He picked the first, closest surgeon he found, and trusted his opinion. The result was days in the hospital followed by an early retirement due to surgical error (in my dad’s case his vagus nerve was irreparably damaged during the procedure). In a real way it ended his life as he knew it.
Glad to hear the surgery went well, Ari! And thanks a lot for your openness to sharing this experience. While I applaud your efforts to try to bring structure and logic into healthcare practices (I am wired the same way), if there's one thing I have learned being surrounded by healthcare professionals & having had some challenges in our own family, it is that logic doesn't always work. I do agree with your thinking around validating assumptions and asking for second (third or even forth opinions, esp when stakes are as high as the ones you shared) -- that's something I do too. And once one's mind is set on the approach, put faith in someone to proceed.
BTW, nice tip with asking the receptionist for her recommendation in the manner that you did. Hopefully I don't have to ever be in a similar situation, but if I do, I will def. use that.
A hugely helpful post. Thank you! It shows that we must research options and remain our own advocates. I'm glad your method worked. And I'm sorry about how badly botched your dad's surgery was.
Glad to hear the surgery went well, Ari! And thanks a lot for your openness to sharing this experience. While I applaud your efforts to try to bring structure and logic into healthcare practices (I am wired the same way), if there's one thing I have learned being surrounded by healthcare professionals & having had some challenges in our own family, it is that logic doesn't always work. I do agree with your thinking around validating assumptions and asking for second (third or even forth opinions, esp when stakes are as high as the ones you shared) -- that's something I do too. And once one's mind is set on the approach, put faith in someone to proceed.
BTW, nice tip with asking the receptionist for her recommendation in the manner that you did. Hopefully I don't have to ever be in a similar situation, but if I do, I will def. use that.
Smart and proactive patient involvement is the way to go. Logic itself is definitely insufficient.
A hugely helpful post. Thank you! It shows that we must research options and remain our own advocates. I'm glad your method worked. And I'm sorry about how badly botched your dad's surgery was.
Thanks Barbara! Glad you found this helpful!!