In the modern era, when surgeries and procedures are safer than they have ever been, all surgeries still come with risk. Trying to understand the risks of surgery and what they mean to you can be daunting. Bringing the following five concepts to your conversation with your doctor prior to surgery can help you make sense of the risks and decide whether a particular treatment is right for you:
1. Identify your goals ahead of time — a crucial and undervalued first step. Every surgery, procedure and even medication has both possible benefits and risks. The choice to undergo a surgical procedure can be a finely balanced one, and is different for most people in many different ways. By figuring out what your goals are and sharing them with your doctor, you can guide the conversation toward identifying the best strategy for you. For some, the goal is living as long as possible. For others, it’s avoiding a long recovery. Setting guideposts before you map the path to recovery can help your doctor tailor your therapy.
[See: Creative Ways Hospitals Reach Diverse Populations.]
2. Define the context. Among the hardest parts of discussing the risk of a procedure with your doctor is that the percentages often become a string of numbers — the abstract chance that something bad will happen. Even for the most informed patient — and even for physicians — it can be hard to make sense of the numbers.
That’s why it’s important to understand context, in terms of both other procedures and surgeries and the risk of not proceeding with surgery. A 10 percent risk of death from surgery, for example, may seem significant if the average risk of death from any surgery is 1 percent. Alternatively, it may seem like a risk worth taking if the threat of dying from your condition is 50 percent. So, when your doctor starts talking about the percentages, ask him or her to provide context — the risk of doing nothing, the overall risk of similar procedures and where your surgery fits within those parameters.
3. Ask to be graded on a curve. Every patient is different, and the combination of individual medical conditions and baseline level of functioning uniquely affect your risk of surgery. Increasingly, there are calculators and algorithms available that help doctors better refine that risk assessment; but the truth is, for you, the specific probabilities are not that important. The key question is whether there’s something about your medical history or condition that makes this surgery higher risk or more challenging than it would be for others. A great way to begin a conversation about what a particular surgery means for you starts with asking your doctor the question: “Compared to everyone who gets this type of procedure, is my risk low, average or high?”
[See: How to Be a Good Patient Wingman.]
4. Look to consequences — not just complications. In the blur between diagnosis and treatment, the list of potential complications can feel like empty words. Most doctors will help you understand the most common and most serious complications. Doctors should try to discuss what the complication would mean for the patient’s lives and lifestyles. For some, the risk of requiring dialysis or needing a pacemaker after a procedure is not concerning. For others, those risks weigh more heavily. Talking about life after a complication, especially a common one, can help better define whether it’s a risk you’re willing to take.
5. Decide to decide. A lot of time can be spent researching the potential benefits and risks of a given treatment plan. Further, investing in that conversation is important because fitting those risks and benefits into your personal goals and worries is the best way to figure out if a particular treatment is right for you. However, it’s important to define an endpoint for your decision-making. There will always be more information you can gather; more data on potential risks and alternatives. Nevertheless, there is a point after which more data only serves to worsen your anxiety and doesn’t help you better understand your options. So, set a deadline with your doctor and make a decision, and once the decision is made, trust in your medical team to take the best possible care of you.
[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.]
No surgery can be risk free. By focusing on the context of the risks and trying to understand how they fit with your own expectations and worries, you and your doctor can figure out a treatment plan that optimizes your path toward a healthier and happier you.
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Benefits and Risks: 5 Tips on How to Talk About Surgery With Your Doctor originally appeared on usnews.com
