Questions to Ask Before Agreeing to Surgery1
General Questions
1. What is this surgery for? Will it eliminate my problem or slow my condition?
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2. What other treatment options might consider?
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3. What will happen if I don't have this surgery?
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4. What are the risks of the surgery and what are the success rates?
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5. Can you do the surgery on an outpatient basis and can I arrange to have appropriate care to recuperate at home instead of the hospital?
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6. What kind of help would I need? Who can help me make those arrangements?
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7. Can you recommend someone to give me a second opinion?
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Financial Questions
1. Who can answer my questions about the costs of this surgery? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the cost of the operation and follow-up care? Is it covered by my insurance
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3. Will Medicare or my insurance cover those costs? Who can answer my questions about costs?
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3. Do I need to clear this with my insurance company or Medicare?
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Footnotes
This document is FCS2235, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Adapted from AARP Health Questions: How to talk to and select physicians, pharmacists, dentists & vision care specialists. Original publication date: June 2005.Reviewed 2008. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
Carolyn S. Wilken, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor, Family, Youth and Community Sciences, IFAS, University of Florida. Reviewed by: Tina Lam, MD, and Mary Harrison, professor, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
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University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
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