What to Do When Surgical Procedures Are Uncomfortable
impacted wisdom teeth and hemorrhoids, are but three conditions that
can send you off to a surgeon, but if the surgeon isn't the right one
for you, the results could be disasterous.
A surgery going wrong has to be one of the worst medical nightmares
most people will ever see. The bare possibility of this happening is
enough to frighten anyone. Therefore it helps to understand precisely
what is going on, and to understand exactly what your rights are in any
given medical situation.
Most surgical theaters in the world have a patient's bill of rights.
Always check to see if any given hospital has a patient's bill of
rights and, if they do, ask for a copy. If they don't have one, find a
new hospital. As long as the hospital has this standard in place, they
hold all of their doctors to it, so your surgeon will be bound by it.
If, however, your surgeon operates out of an independent office, ask
for the bill of rights directly from his or her office staff, and
again, if it is not available, find a new surgeon. On the patient bill
of rights is a very clear right to informed consent clause. What this
means is that as long as you are an adult of sound mind, you have the
indisputable right to fully understand any medical procedure that is
performed on you. If the patient is not an adult of sound mind, then
the right to informed consent reverts to the patient's guardian. No
matter how many times you need it explained, or no matter in how much
detail, you have the right to ask for it. In addition, you have the
right to respect for your dignity. No one should ever use your lack of
understanding to make you feel inferior or as if you're taking up too
much time.
Concurrently with a patient's bill of rights usually comes a list of patient's responsibilities,
and respect for medical staff is on that list of responsibilities. That
means that no matter how frustrated you get with any medical person,
you do not have the right to scream at them, insult them, or belittle
them. However, that is all that it means. As long as you keep your
questions phrased in a polite manner and reasonable tone of voice, you
have fulfilled your responsibility of respect and can ask as many as
you need to fully understand everything in your treatment plan.
Your rights prior to surgery
If asking questions does not make you comfortable for some reason, such
as you think that the surgeon is sharp with you or isn't taking enough
care, you have the right to not have the procedure done by that
surgeon. Unless it is a flat-out medical emergency, you can stop any
procedure any time before anesthesia is performed, even if it's the day
of the procedure itself. If it is a life or death emergency, then they
have the duty and responsibility to save your life, even if you don't
want them to. However, hemorrhoids are not usually a life and death
situation, and you probably have the time to find a surgeon with whom
you are more comfortable. It's not a terribly good idea to wait until
the last minute before you make this decision, but if you must then you
must. Keep in mind that the hospital may charge you, and your insurance
may not pay because you went against medical advice. Therefore, if you
do this at the last minute you may foot the bill for anything the
hospital did before you changed your mind. High medical bills are not
fun, but you may find them preferable to the fear of a botched surgery.
Try and sort things out before surgery
It is always more efficient and more helpful to everyone concerned if
you ask enough questions at the beginning of your relationship with
your surgeon to either be completely comfortable or to find another
surgeon, but do not let that stand in the way of protecting yourself.
If you are afraid that your surgeon is going to screw up your surgery,
it is much kinder to both yourself and the doctor to find another
surgeon than to sue for malpractice. If your discomfort is over
something so elementary as you feel as though your dignity or person is
not respected, you should find a new doctor immediately. However, if
you are uncomfortable for any other reason, such as a particular
surgeon's lack of practice with the particular procedure that you are
having, or a percieved lack of knowledge or regard for your particular
medical history, all of these are valid reasons to look elsewhere, no
matter how far along in the process you are.
