Did you know you can sell all or a portion of a life insurance policy, even term insurance?
(4 minute read)
Before consenting to surgery, every individual wants to be confident in the surgeon. Knowing the surgeon’s professional history, skill set, and even personality may help reduce stress and anxiety related to the procedure and could even help you determine if you want to work with that surgeon or not. Here are some key questions to ask a surgeon before your procedure.
Why Is This Operation Needed?
It’s important to start with understanding why the surgery is essential. It is estimated that 700,000 or more performed surgeries every year are actually unnecessary. Spinal fusions for pain management and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (a knee surgery) are two examples of surgeries that are shown to be extremely ineffective or even put patients at risk.
Your surgeon should be able to explain the health condition justifying the surgery is needed, as well as how the surgery will resolve or improve the condition better than non-surgical options.
What Is the Process of the Operation?
Asking about the process of the operation means understanding what the surgeon will do, how long it will take, and where the surgery will occur. Many surgeries today take place at outpatient centers versus in a traditional hospital. You can ask the surgeon why they recommend one facility over the other. You may also want to ask about the anesthesia that will be used and any pre-surgery prep that will be needed, like fasting.
What are the Benefits of the Procedure? What are the Risks?
The surgeon may summarize the benefits when explaining why the operation is necessary, but it is worth asking again for the benefits to be listed. You should also ask about the risks of the procedure. There is no such thing as risk-free surgery. Certain health factors can cause some risks to be greater for certain patients, which you can discuss with the surgeon too.
What is the Surgeon’s Experience Performing This Operation?
Ask the surgeon directly about their experience performing the operation. This includes the number of times they have performed the procedure, the successes, and any failures. Asking this question will help you find a practiced surgeon you can trust.
What Happens if I Don’t Have the Surgery?
Once you have heard about some of the risks, you may want to weigh the decision to have surgery further. This means it’s important to understand what will happen if you don’t have the surgery, and what alternatives to surgery might be. Those might include physical therapy, medicines, changes to diet, and more.
What Will Recovery Be Like?
It’s important to understand what will happen after the surgery. In the short-term, you need to understand the after-care necessities, like if you will need to be in the hospital after the procedure, or have someone stay with you. The surgeon should review the amount of pain you should expect and any potential effects like immobility or temporary numbness. This could include a review of the risks and what to look out for as well. In the long-term, the surgeon should set your expectations for improvement after the procedure. This includes follow-up appointments.
These questions will give you or a loved one the information that is needed to prepare for a surgery and choose a trusted surgeon to carry out the procedure. We wish you the best of health and happiness as you explore these options.
Did you know you can sell all or a portion of a life insurance policy, even term insurance? Selling an unwanted life insurance policy is no different than selling your car, home or any other valuable asset that will create immediate cash. Contact us today to learn more.
Leo LaGrotte
Life Settlement Advisors
llagrotte@lsa-llc.com
1-888-849-0887
