Did you know that there are people who will show up to have surgery with a doctor that they have never seen?
At my current my current practice, we have quite a few telephone appointments. This is to help patients be able to continue their normal day, not have to drive out of the way for an appointment that can be handled over the phone. I understand this completely. There are so many things in medicine that can be handled with a phone call, I really do not need to lay eyes on your body for many things. I can look at your x-ray or lab results and talk to you to help get the answers. When I can’t, I ask for an in-person visit.
Sometimes, I just gotta lay eyes on you.
BUT, when it comes to having surgery, I, as your surgeon want to see you. I want to get a “feel” for you. How calm are you? How do you handle stress, in general? I can look at you when I am talking about the surgery to be sure that you understand. I can get your reaction to the potential complications of the procedure. All of these are important. I am about to get very intimate with your body and be a part of your life.
You, as a patient, should want to see ME before you allow me to become very intimate with your body. Do you like me? How calm am I? Do I seem confident that this is the right thing for you? Do I have 2 eyes that seem like they work? Are my hands steady? These are things that I, as a patient, would want to know. It may help me to feel less insecure and nervous.
After all, the pre-operative area where you lay vulnerable, naked, except for a barely covering hospital gown, with tubing coming from your arm for fluids that you don’t understand seems like an odd time to meet a person for the first time who is about to get very intimate with your body.
Maybe I’m weird to think this way. After all, all surgeons are the same, right?
Remember, your health is your responsibility
