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Second Opinion

When Should I Seek a Second Opinion Consultation?

Columbia University Medical Center's physicians are committed to ensuring that diagnoses of potentially life-threatening diseases are accurate. Our commitment includes making sure that patients and their referring physicians are aware of all possible treatment options. Sometimes, this can mean seeking a second opinion consultation.

The Second Opinion Program recognizes that many patients blindly accept a recommendation to have surgery. Whether overwhelmed by an abundance of confusing medical information, unwilling to question their physician's advice, or simply too afraid to consider the implications of surgery, many patients never truly evaluate their surgical options. The Second Opinion Program aims to meet these needs by helping patients gather information and assess their options before surgery.

The Columbia Presbyterian Guide to Surgery, by Eric A. Rose, MD, provides a valuable set of tools for empowering patients to make informed decisions. It answers the following critical questions:

• When do I need a second opinion?
• When is medical therapy an option?
• Are there other alternatives that can improve my quality of life?
• What is my degree of acceptable risk?
• How do I assess the potential gain from this operation?
• How do I choose the right surgeon?
• What is the best possible timing for this procedure?

The book also helps individuals assess their motivation for having surgery, their fear of surgery, and the evidence physicians rely upon when recommending treatment. Finally, it describes ways patients can be more proactive in their own health care.

There are no "hard and fast" rules to tell you when a second opinion consultation is advisable, but you should discuss the following questions with your surgeon:

• What are the symptoms that make surgery advisable?
• What alternative forms of therapy are available, if any?
• What will likely happen if you do not have the operation?
• How is the operation expected to improve your health or quality of life?
• Are there any common "residual effects" after the operation?

Where should I seek a second opinion?

If you do seek a second opinion, seek qualified advice. A fully trained surgeon has gone through years of training to learn specialized skills. Always seek consultation from a surgeon who is a qualified surgical specialist.

A good way to judge a surgeon's qualifications is to find out if he or she is "Board-certified" and approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Furthermore, a surgeon who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.) has passed a thorough evaluation of both professional competence and ethical fitness.

Your family physician, your local or state medical society, the hospital where the surgeon practices, or the surgical department of a nearby medical school can help you evaluate a surgeon's credentials.

The decision is yours: a second opinion is not necessarily better than a first opinion. Don't hesitate to discuss all your questions and concerns. To learn more about Columbia University Medical Center's Surgical Second Opinion Program, please call, 201.346.7001.

    http://ci.columbia.edu/ci/eseminars/medicine.html

Second Opinion Resources

• Publications by Mehmet Oz, MD

  You: The Smart Patient

  

  Being a smart patient is critical today. With managed care networks, busy surgery schedules, and complicated insurance plans, a patient can't necessarily assume that X-rays from Dr. A will make it to Specialist B in time for Surgery C. In fact, the best way to navigate the complexities of the health care system is to be a smart patient. In YOU: THE SMART PATIENT An Insider's Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz show how every patient can take charge of their own health care and get the best treatment available. Written in conjunction with the health care community's leading oversight group, The Joint Commission, the book shows readers in clear, easy steps how to take control of their own health care and deal with all matters that may come up when facing a medical case.

  View a list of Dr. Oz's books.

• The Columbia Presbyterian Guide to Surgery
  By Eric A. Rose, MD

  The Columbia Presbyterian Guide to Surgery, published by St. Martin's Press/ Griffin, is the definitive resource for anyone whose physician has recommended surgery. Like having the best surgeons in the world give a second opinion-for free, this book presents an arsenal of options and alternatives for full participation in this major health decision. The Columbia Presbyterian Guide to Surgery provides the best, most current information, with illustrations depicting forty-five of the most common surgical procedures. Specific information is provided for various diagnostic tests, important questions to ask a doctor, reasons for having specific operations, and many other topics.

  Making the decision to have surgery can be difficult. The Columbia Presbyterian Guide to Surgery gives accurate, accessible information to make this process much easier.