Questions Our Orthopedic Surgeons Get Asked The Most

When meeting with an orthopedic surgeon, there are surely a lot of questions running through your mind. It can be hard to remember all of your questions, so here is a basic guideline of questions you should ask your orthopedic surgeon:

• Why are you recommending this procedure?
• How successful is this procedure?
• What kinds of risks are involved?
• Will I need additional surgery after this procedure?
• How is this procedure performed?
• What type of anesthesia is required?
• What would happen if I decide not to have this procedure done?
• Will I be in pain afterward?
• How long does recovery take?
• When can I go back to my regular activities?

All of these questions will help you pinpoint the right orthopedic surgeon for you. In general, you want to discover how experienced they are in performing your specific procedure, the rate of success and the risk of complications. It is also important to gauge how much pain, if any, there will be.

The most important first step in finding an orthopedic surgeon is making sure that they have the appropriate credentials to treat you. Some orthopedic surgeons will have additional training in a particular discipline such as sports medicine injuries, knee replacement, hand surgery, spine surgery, or hip replacement.

It is also important to check how much experience your orthopedic surgeon has with a given procedure. Call their office and ask how many of the specific surgeries the doctor has done that you are looking to have performed. While you may not get a straight answer on the phone, inquiring about the quantity that a surgeon has of a particular type of surgery every month may give you an objective way of comparing one surgeon’s body of experience with another’s.

Call the occupational and physical therapists in your community. Since they see patients often before and after their surgery, physical therapists are great judges of orthopedic surgeon outcomes. In addition to these healthcare professionals, nurses are a great resource for reliable doctors as they work with physicians all the time. Operating room nurses in particular will likely have experience working with experienced surgeons who know how to handle an adverse reaction during an operation.

If you know a nurse, speak to them. Although they may not work alongside an orthopedic surgeon, there is a good chance they know an orthopedic nurse, or someone who works closely with an orthopedic surgeon.

Lastly, a simple online search of the doctor’s name can reveal a wealth of information. There will likely be reviews posted online. Obviously someone who has an abundance of negative reviews raises red flags. However, an orthopedic surgeon with several great reviews is definitely hard to ignore.

There are many commonly performed orthopedic surgeries. Some of the most common include:

• Hip replacement
• Knee replacement
• Carpal tunnel release
• Knee arthroscopy and meniscectomy
• Shoulder arthroscopy and decompression
• Repair of femoral neck fracture
• Repair of trochanteric fracture
• Knee arthroscopy and chondroplasty
• Removal of support implant
• Knee arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

If you or someone you know is looking for a top-rated orthopedic surgeon, come to Dr. Paul Dicpinigaitis today! Our kind and compassionate professionals are experienced in orthopedic surgery and can help restore you to good health. For more information about our orthopedic surgeon, call our office and get in touch with a member of our specialist team. To book an appointment with our orthopedic surgeon, visit our website or speak with us over the phone today.