Courtesy of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), here are some questions you can ask your physician before you have surgery:
- What operation are you recommending?
- Why do I need the operation?
- Are there alternatives to surgery?
- What are the benefits of having the operation?
- What are the risks of having the operation?
- What if I don’t have this operation?
- Where can I get a second opinion?
- What has been your experience in doing this operation?
- What kind of anesthesia will I need?
- How long will it take me to recover?
For additional information about health care quality and safety, you can download a list of releavant websites to visit:
Health Care Quality and Safety Web Site List