How to choose a spine surgeon is becoming a widely asked question as back pain is a massive issue all over India. As per research, the lifetime prevalence of back pain was 57 percent, and the one-year prevalence was 48 percent. Additionally, the prevalence of chronic back symptoms was 12 percent, and the risk factors include lifting heavy weights and advancing age.
So, if you or your loved one might have back pain that has gotten bad enough, you will have to consider spine surgery to relieve pain. You can search for spine surgery hospitals in India and find the best spine surgeon. But you must be baffled about choosing the best, so you can keep reading this article and gain some tips that how to choose a spine surgeon.
Ask your family, neighbors, and friends about their surgeon
If you are looking for a spine surgeon, you can ask your family, neighbors, and friends about theirs. But you must only ask if you are comfortable communicating about your surgery.
Well, before you discuss all the details with them, you must consider if they had a similar surgery like yours. Will they recommend you their surgeon? Were they pleased with the outcome? These are some questions to ask.
They will certainly tell you if the information and knowledge received from their healthcare provider helped them to make an educated decision. You must always remember to ask how they felt about the facility and where the surgery was performed.
Qualifications and experience of the surgeon
When it comes to surgery, experience and qualifications matter. Your spine surgeon must be experienced enough to make the surgery and give you details about the specifics like risks and benefits of the surgery.
The surgeon will also discuss all the short-term and long-term side effects of the surgery. For instance, if your spine surgeon recommends a cervical artificial replacement surgery to relieve arm and neck pain, you must ask the number of times the surgery was performed and what to expect during the time of recovery.
To know if the surgeon is qualified, you can take a look at the certifications. Many surgeons display their qualifications in the hospital or private clinic. The surgeon can have qualifications like MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and MS in Orthopedics course.
If the surgeon answers your questions and respects your attention, you can ensure that the surgeon is highly experienced and qualified appropriately. You can look for such spine surgeons in different spine surgery hospitals in India.
Get a second opinion
You might have consulted with a really good surgeon and scheduled surgery. But in case you are not confident enough, do not schedule the surgery. You can take a day to consider everything before making the surgery official.
You can consult with another surgeon and get a second opinion. You might never know if the second one can be the ideal doctor you are looking for. When you feel that you have found the best surgeon, you can schedule your surgery as soon as possible.
Check the testimonials and read reviews
Many healthcare providers have made their presence in the digital world. You can either find the best on the testimonial pages of their private online websites or the pages of the hospital website.
Furthermore, you can search for stories of patients treated by a particular surgeon and check if the treatment satisfied them. You can also read reviews on various social media sites or other online websites. You can also search for the ratings of those doctors.
But make sure that you read the positive and negative reviews thoroughly as it can give you more than just a gist about the doctor’s treatment style. You might even get your concerns resolved by reading the testimonials, stories, and reviews.