Before the surgeon starts
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. When the surgeon starts work, the surgeon is in charge. But before that, the patient needs to find out as much as possible about the options, and get involved in the treatment decision. To help patients make wise choices, HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a new booklet, called “Having Surgery? What you need to know.’’ The agency’s director, Dr. Carolyn Clancy: "Patients facing surgery need to ask some basic questions before they decide on a treatment option. Knowing and understanding the answers will help patients obtain good-quality care and be satisfied with the results." (11 seconds) Among the questions: - Why is the surgery being recommended?
- What are the benefits and risks?
- Are there alternatives to surgery?
- How experienced is the surgeon with this procedure?
- And how long will it take to recover?
Learn more at www.hhs.gov. HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss. Last revised: June, 09 2006 | 
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