You Should Choose

Your Surgeon

Surgeons are known to say, “There is no such thing as minor surgery, but there are a lot of minor surgeons!” Knowing how to secure the best surgeon for a needed operation is half the battle.  This is especially true when special surgical techniques are involved.  Laparoscopy is one of them.

The problem with laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery is it leaves the impression that tiny incisions mean a simple, uncomplicated way to perform an operation. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as catastrophic complications can happen. Patients can suffer injuries to the bowel, blood vessels, nerves, and reproductive organs. Operations that have resulted in trouble include hysterectomy, other gynecological procedures, removal of the gallbladder, appendix and kidney.

There’s an old saying that, “Practice makes perfect.” It applies to a plumber or a surgeon. It applies especially to laparoscopic procedures where the surgical learning curve must be extensive. Looking through a small lighted tube, while at the same time manipulating other instruments, requires well trained dexterity.

If you are lucky to know one, ask a scrub nurse to make a recommendation. Scrub nurses watch different surgeons operating day after day and they know who has skilled hands. If you later find out, the recommended doctor has the personality of Dracula, forget it. Remember, it’s the hands, not personality, that are doing the surgery.