? about surgery...who's operating??

[MaryAnnDVC]

If you're having surgery, do you always know who's operating? Surgical residents (if that's what they're called) have to start somewhere...but is the patient and family made aware of this beforehand? If you were having surgery in a "teaching hospital", would you confirm beforehand that the only one operating on you is the experienced surgeon?

 

[caitycaity]

i've never had major surgery -- only local anesthetic surgeries, and i just showed up. i guess it's not something that bothers me or that i would worry about. why, i don't know.

if i was having lasik or something similar though, i would probably at least look into who the surgeon was.

 

[cgcw]

When I had my children in a teaching hospital -- both c-sections - my OB was there directing the resident. Seems to me as if both of them were actually doing the procedures. I know my own OB was the one to actually show me the babies each time. It might be different with other surgeries. I know when I was hospitalized for a month before my oldest DS was born, a resident OB came to seem me every day. She was the one who gave me most of my information -- even though my own OB also came to see me everyday.

 

[pokiemomo181]

I HAD SURGURY MANY YEARS AGO, AND SOMEONE OTHER THAN MY SURGEON DID THE OPERATION. I FIGURED SOMETHING WAS UP WHEN MY SURGEON CAME TO SEE ME AFTER, AND DIDN'T KNOW WHICH DIRECTION MY INCISION WAS. COME TO FIND OUT I WAS PREGNANT AT THE TIME AND THEY NEVER DID A PREGNANCY TEST. OOPS! NEEDLESS TO SAY I NEVER GOT A HOSPITAL BILL OR A BILL FROM MY SURGEON. LUCKILY I HAD A HEALTHY BOY 7 MONTHS LATER. OTHERWISE SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN COURT!


POKIE

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Yikes pokiemomo181!

Well...DD is having apparently rare, but non-life threatening, outpatient oral surgery this week, in the hospital under general anesthesia. The first oral surgeon (with a great reputation) we saw said he would NOT do it because he has no experience with it and there are risks involved (again...not life-threatening, but potentially permanent and "life-affecting")...he said "I wouldn't want my 14 year old daughter to have it done." The surgeon who will be doing the surgery said she does them relatively often...about 6 times a year, which doesn't sound like a lot, but apparently is. So...getting closer to the day and a little nervous (and having gotten a call from the hospital today to go over some information)...I wondered if this would be an opportunity for an oral surgery resident to get some training, since the procedure doesn't come up very often...and I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that.

 

[caitycaity]

with the possibility of lawsuits, i don't think the hospital would let someone perform the surgery if they didn't have confidence in their abilities. maybe i am just being overly optimistic.

good luck to your daughter; i'm sure it will go fine.

 

[Michelle]

When I had my spinal fusion surgery in 1988 I knew EXACTLY the three surgeons that were working on me: my orthopedist, the other ortho in his office, and a vascular surgeon.

 

[cgcw]

MaryannDVC,

Now that's another story. I wouldn't be comfortable with a resident doing that either -- especially since an experience surgeon said he wouldn't do it. I would definately have a talk with the surgeon doing the surgery and make sure she knows you want her to do the surgery. Maybe in a way to let her know that you'd be more than willing to have a resident learn but you want her to be the one doing the actual procedure.

Good luck to your DD.