Where do you go to get the hard facts on surgery?

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If someone was booked to have surgery where would they go to get info on individual surgeons, hospitols, success rates, lenght of service, ect ect ?

 

[ROFL]

I woudl search the hospital, the operation, the surgeon in google first, simple but effective and then try nhs online?

 

[Ted]

If someone was booked to have surgery where would they go to get info on individual surgeons, hospitols, success rates, lenght of service, ect ect ?[/



Hiya Steve, I have just sent you a private message in reply to your earlier message, I am sorry for the delay, just let me know and I'll be happy to re-respond.

With regards to the above question Cassie is right, Google the Surgeons name first. Follow links to his/her NHS experience and affiliations and this should also give you information on any peer reviewed research papers he/she may have presented. Then, through the internet or by telephoning the Surgeons Secretary look in to his/her private practices if
this information is required by your patient. You can also get information about the hospital the same way!

With regards to accurate information about a Surgeons 'safety & efficacy rates' for his/her procedures, you will have to 'hunt' long and hard, because they generaly do not give out this information, I believe, this is to protect the guilty. I had to use the 'freedom of information act' to demand information about how 'safe' and how 'effective' lumber spine decompression procedures are at my local spinal unit, because I could not get any reliable information from my GP, Orthopeadic Consultant, Physiotherapist or Spinal Surgeons. I was told that they do not record or keep this information, neither do they have any results of any randomised control trials of the same, UNBELIEVABLE, BUT TRUE!!
I can prove this, if you want confirmation of this go to PM's!


I was told by my 'then' Spinal Surgeon, that his procedures were 98% successful, GREAT I THOUGHT! It was only during further internet research that I found out that the 98% rate applied to the 'practical mechanical rating' for the Surgeons work! NOT THE PATIENTS LONG TERM CLINICAL OUTCOME. I found that this information was very 'sketchy' and I could not find any reliable information about these very important points. I also found out that of the 3 health trusts that I surveyed, they have never carried out any randomised control trials or for that matter any clinical trials for such things as laminectomy and fusion etc:

Your Patient will need to be pursistent and firm in 'demanding' understandable and factual information from the Surgeon, they will not like this approach and will 'beat around the bushes', but your patient will need to do this, if they are to get this high standard of information from Surgeons. As I always say, do your research People!!

All the best

SPINELF