If you’ve been recommended for shoulder surgery, know that surgery of any kind is a huge undertaking. Ultimately, the decision to have surgery rests on you. This is your decision to make, and surgeons empower their patients by giving them all the information they need about the surgery, as well as ample time to make a decision.
Questions To Ask
You want the surgery to be appropriate for your injury and lifestyle. To help you make an informed decision, there is a lot of information you should consider. To ensure you get all of the information you need, it is important to know which questions to ask your surgeon. Here are questions you should ask your shoulder surgeon to learn about the procedure ahead of making the decision to get it done.
- What other treatment options are available to me? Can my condition be managed through a less invasive method?
- What happens if I do not have surgery? Does it have long-term consequences?
- What are the benefits of this specific procedure? Will it completely fix my issue? Can I expect complete relief from pain?
- Do you specialize in this procedure? Are you fellowship-trained?
- Where do you perform the surgery? Will it be an outpatient procedure or will it require a hospital stay?
- How many times have you performed this surgery? How many do you perform in a year?
- How do I prepare for the surgery? Do I need to make lifestyle changes?
- What happens during the surgery?
- What is recovery going to be like? How do I maximize my recovery?
- What risks and complications can occur with shoulder surgery?
- In the case of shoulder replacement surgery, how long will the replacement shoulder last?
- What are your complication rates?
- How long does recovery take? When can I return to my job? When can I drive?
- What are the long-term results I can expect from the treatment?
- Will avoiding surgery affect the outcome if I decide to have it in the future?
- I was injured on the job. Do you have experience working through the Maryland workers’ compensation system?
These questions will help you assess whether the surgery and orthopedic surgeon are right for you and your needs. To see the shoulder surgeons near you, search for “shoulder surgeon near me” on Google.
Shoulder Surgeon in Greater Chesapeake, MD
At Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder, our shoulder surgeons provide comprehensive care for patients with all manner of upper extremity problems.
If your shoulder injury is from sports or exercise, our physicians’ fellowship training in sports medicine and strong involvement in academic medicine at the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital allows us to offer the latest in upper extremity sports injury treatments, including surgery, which not all sports medicine doctors are trained to do. If you are injured on the job, we are also knowledgeable in Maryland’s workers’ compensation system and offer a great workers’ compensation program. If your shoulder problem is due to a degenerative condition, such as arthritis, we are highly experienced in different procedures for it.
The expertise of our orthopedic surgeons at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder in upper extremity injuries helps patients return to their sport, exercise, or job in a timely manner. We are proud to serve Lutherville, Bel Air, Clarksville, Eldersburg, Pasadena, and Westminster. To make an appointment with one of our shoulder surgeons, call our clinic at (410) 296-6232 or use our online request form. Our friendly staff looks forward to your call.
