Saturday Squawk – Speak Up to Save your Life!

. . . or at least a serious problem. Ask the right questions at the right time when you are dealing with your health professionals, and you can avoid potential trouble. Here are some examples when a squawk can help:

Before a non-urgent surgical procedure, such as total knee replacement, ask your surgeon the following:

1. How many of these operations have you done?

2. What can go wrong and how will you prevent this from happening?

3. What other forms of treatment are there?

4. Who would you go to, outside your own office, if you needed this procedure?

Before you have gall-bladder surgery (or something similar) ask:

1. Are you personally going to do my surgery, and will you be there until the end?

2. Have you practiced in other cities before you came here? (a frequent traveler is a red flag)

3. What medicines am I being given? Do you know I’m allergic to xxxxxx?

I’m grateful to Dr Pierce Scranton for reminding me of these questions. Visit his website and order his exciting novel based on his experiences in the OR.