Meeting the surgeons

B

BSJCA

New member
I just got listed on Monday and suddenly thought I should meet the surgeons. Everytime I've I've had a planned surgery I have met with the doctors. For my thoracotomy, my shoulder, my knees, etc. My tx coordinator gave me the names numbers for the two surgeons so that I can make a "cold call". Now I'm wondering if this is out of the norm. Am I being a control freak or anal retentive? Her behavior sort of led me to believe that.

Did any of you meet you surgeons in advance? What questions did you ask? I've heard they do the sternum cut (verticle) at my hospital. But that's about it. Maybe there's nothing else to know. Oh, at another hospital I did have my lung collapse 3 times and they did surgery, gave me a clamshell, stapled the bleb shut and then abraded the tissue so that it stuck to the cavity wall. That was back in '89 and the doctors told me I'd never have a tx because of it. What a surprise when I found only a few months ago that I could have one. So I guess I would mention those two things. I also have MRSA so I wonder how that could complcate things.

Please let me know if you met with the surgeons before the Big Day. And did you have to ask to meet them or was it part of the program? Lastly, what would you recommend asking?

Thanks to all, Barbara
 
B

BSJCA

New member
I just got listed on Monday and suddenly thought I should meet the surgeons. Everytime I've I've had a planned surgery I have met with the doctors. For my thoracotomy, my shoulder, my knees, etc. My tx coordinator gave me the names numbers for the two surgeons so that I can make a "cold call". Now I'm wondering if this is out of the norm. Am I being a control freak or anal retentive? Her behavior sort of led me to believe that.

Did any of you meet you surgeons in advance? What questions did you ask? I've heard they do the sternum cut (verticle) at my hospital. But that's about it. Maybe there's nothing else to know. Oh, at another hospital I did have my lung collapse 3 times and they did surgery, gave me a clamshell, stapled the bleb shut and then abraded the tissue so that it stuck to the cavity wall. That was back in '89 and the doctors told me I'd never have a tx because of it. What a surprise when I found only a few months ago that I could have one. So I guess I would mention those two things. I also have MRSA so I wonder how that could complcate things.

Please let me know if you met with the surgeons before the Big Day. And did you have to ask to meet them or was it part of the program? Lastly, what would you recommend asking?

Thanks to all, Barbara
 
B

BSJCA

New member
I just got listed on Monday and suddenly thought I should meet the surgeons. Everytime I've I've had a planned surgery I have met with the doctors. For my thoracotomy, my shoulder, my knees, etc. My tx coordinator gave me the names numbers for the two surgeons so that I can make a "cold call". Now I'm wondering if this is out of the norm. Am I being a control freak or anal retentive? Her behavior sort of led me to believe that.
<br />
<br />Did any of you meet you surgeons in advance? What questions did you ask? I've heard they do the sternum cut (verticle) at my hospital. But that's about it. Maybe there's nothing else to know. Oh, at another hospital I did have my lung collapse 3 times and they did surgery, gave me a clamshell, stapled the bleb shut and then abraded the tissue so that it stuck to the cavity wall. That was back in '89 and the doctors told me I'd never have a tx because of it. What a surprise when I found only a few months ago that I could have one. So I guess I would mention those two things. I also have MRSA so I wonder how that could complcate things.
<br />
<br />Please let me know if you met with the surgeons before the Big Day. And did you have to ask to meet them or was it part of the program? Lastly, what would you recommend asking?
<br />
<br />Thanks to all, Barbara
 
C

coltsfan715

New member
For me it was part of my schedule. My last appointment during my evaluation was with the cardiothoracic surgeon - it was rescheduled a few times due to him being called out for surgery though.

As for your question about MRSA or any other bugs that is something you would need to talk to your tx team about or an infectious disease doctor, those are the guys that take care of that.

I met with the surgeon and just asked general questions where the incision would be (I have a double thoracotomy incision) I wanted to know how they actually got my lungs out, potential problems, how I would be closed up, how long I had to go without bathing and such. I had a lot more questions but my surgeon was wonderful in that I would ask the questions and there were times he would look at me and say ... are you sure you want me to answer that. I would be quiet and then say either yes or no. I realized in him doing that there were somethings I just didn't need to know.

As for someone telling you that you would not be able to have a transplant I think that is a moot point. There is no point in bringing it up at all because obviously they were wrong or you wouldn't be listed right now.

Before calling I would sit down and think of what you really want to know and write the questions down. Look at the list and see if the surgeon is the one that answers them or if you really need to talk to someone else - i.e. Nurse Coordinator, Infectious Disease Specialist and so on. If you just want to introduce yourself and maybe just ask a question or two then do it. There is nothing wrong with it. I didn't see the surgeon immediately before my transplant but I had met him at least once I never saw him in the office again though. I saw him a few times in the hospital, the surgeon just doesn't take as active a role in your care so you just don't have that much to do with them honestly. They are kind of the forgotten members of the team is the way I look at it. They do the behind the scenes work and a lot of times don't get the recognition from patients because we just never really see them.

If you think that this is strange I do remember right before my transplant being very adamant that I HAD to meet the anesthesiologist before I went into the OR. I laugh about that now - as if my not meeting him/her would have kept me from following through with the transplant. I got to meet him though and I just double checked that they wouldn't kill me lol - I remember asking what they would do if I had problems and that was it.

Sometimes it is just a peace of mind thing for you to talk to them, hear their voice, ask a few questions, like a job interview you just want to make sure you are comfortable with the man/woman that being hired for the job.

Take Care and try not to stress about it. Come up with your list of questions and call if you want to call. If its important to you then it's important enough to follow through with.

Lindsey
 
C

coltsfan715

New member
For me it was part of my schedule. My last appointment during my evaluation was with the cardiothoracic surgeon - it was rescheduled a few times due to him being called out for surgery though.

As for your question about MRSA or any other bugs that is something you would need to talk to your tx team about or an infectious disease doctor, those are the guys that take care of that.

I met with the surgeon and just asked general questions where the incision would be (I have a double thoracotomy incision) I wanted to know how they actually got my lungs out, potential problems, how I would be closed up, how long I had to go without bathing and such. I had a lot more questions but my surgeon was wonderful in that I would ask the questions and there were times he would look at me and say ... are you sure you want me to answer that. I would be quiet and then say either yes or no. I realized in him doing that there were somethings I just didn't need to know.

As for someone telling you that you would not be able to have a transplant I think that is a moot point. There is no point in bringing it up at all because obviously they were wrong or you wouldn't be listed right now.

Before calling I would sit down and think of what you really want to know and write the questions down. Look at the list and see if the surgeon is the one that answers them or if you really need to talk to someone else - i.e. Nurse Coordinator, Infectious Disease Specialist and so on. If you just want to introduce yourself and maybe just ask a question or two then do it. There is nothing wrong with it. I didn't see the surgeon immediately before my transplant but I had met him at least once I never saw him in the office again though. I saw him a few times in the hospital, the surgeon just doesn't take as active a role in your care so you just don't have that much to do with them honestly. They are kind of the forgotten members of the team is the way I look at it. They do the behind the scenes work and a lot of times don't get the recognition from patients because we just never really see them.

If you think that this is strange I do remember right before my transplant being very adamant that I HAD to meet the anesthesiologist before I went into the OR. I laugh about that now - as if my not meeting him/her would have kept me from following through with the transplant. I got to meet him though and I just double checked that they wouldn't kill me lol - I remember asking what they would do if I had problems and that was it.

Sometimes it is just a peace of mind thing for you to talk to them, hear their voice, ask a few questions, like a job interview you just want to make sure you are comfortable with the man/woman that being hired for the job.

Take Care and try not to stress about it. Come up with your list of questions and call if you want to call. If its important to you then it's important enough to follow through with.

Lindsey
 
C

coltsfan715

New member
For me it was part of my schedule. My last appointment during my evaluation was with the cardiothoracic surgeon - it was rescheduled a few times due to him being called out for surgery though.
<br />
<br />As for your question about MRSA or any other bugs that is something you would need to talk to your tx team about or an infectious disease doctor, those are the guys that take care of that.
<br />
<br />I met with the surgeon and just asked general questions where the incision would be (I have a double thoracotomy incision) I wanted to know how they actually got my lungs out, potential problems, how I would be closed up, how long I had to go without bathing and such. I had a lot more questions but my surgeon was wonderful in that I would ask the questions and there were times he would look at me and say ... are you sure you want me to answer that. I would be quiet and then say either yes or no. I realized in him doing that there were somethings I just didn't need to know.
<br />
<br />As for someone telling you that you would not be able to have a transplant I think that is a moot point. There is no point in bringing it up at all because obviously they were wrong or you wouldn't be listed right now.
<br />
<br />Before calling I would sit down and think of what you really want to know and write the questions down. Look at the list and see if the surgeon is the one that answers them or if you really need to talk to someone else - i.e. Nurse Coordinator, Infectious Disease Specialist and so on. If you just want to introduce yourself and maybe just ask a question or two then do it. There is nothing wrong with it. I didn't see the surgeon immediately before my transplant but I had met him at least once I never saw him in the office again though. I saw him a few times in the hospital, the surgeon just doesn't take as active a role in your care so you just don't have that much to do with them honestly. They are kind of the forgotten members of the team is the way I look at it. They do the behind the scenes work and a lot of times don't get the recognition from patients because we just never really see them.
<br />
<br />If you think that this is strange I do remember right before my transplant being very adamant that I HAD to meet the anesthesiologist before I went into the OR. I laugh about that now - as if my not meeting him/her would have kept me from following through with the transplant. I got to meet him though and I just double checked that they wouldn't kill me lol - I remember asking what they would do if I had problems and that was it.
<br />
<br />Sometimes it is just a peace of mind thing for you to talk to them, hear their voice, ask a few questions, like a job interview you just want to make sure you are comfortable with the man/woman that being hired for the job.
<br />
<br />Take Care and try not to stress about it. Come up with your list of questions and call if you want to call. If its important to you then it's important enough to follow through with.
<br />
<br />Lindsey
 
B

BSJCA

New member
Hey Lindsey,

Thanks for the great reply. I think I will call for an appointment to, as you say, give myself some peace of mind. I think it will take some of the fear out of it for me (some, not all) - one less unknown. I do have several questions but, I don't think the surgeon will expect me to come up with all the questions. He can probably give me a pretty good education without me asking a thing. I'm trying not stress about it but, as I know you know, it's not easy.
 
B

BSJCA

New member
Hey Lindsey,

Thanks for the great reply. I think I will call for an appointment to, as you say, give myself some peace of mind. I think it will take some of the fear out of it for me (some, not all) - one less unknown. I do have several questions but, I don't think the surgeon will expect me to come up with all the questions. He can probably give me a pretty good education without me asking a thing. I'm trying not stress about it but, as I know you know, it's not easy.
 
B

BSJCA

New member
Hey Lindsey,
<br />
<br />Thanks for the great reply. I think I will call for an appointment to, as you say, give myself some peace of mind. I think it will take some of the fear out of it for me (some, not all) - one less unknown. I do have several questions but, I don't think the surgeon will expect me to come up with all the questions. He can probably give me a pretty good education without me asking a thing. I'm trying not stress about it but, as I know you know, it's not easy.
 
L

Lex

New member
At Columbia, you meet with a surgeon as part of the pre-TX program.

He took me through the surgery from his perspective. I asked him a ton of questions. It was coooooool. Then I asked him how his golf game was doing. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
L

Lex

New member
At Columbia, you meet with a surgeon as part of the pre-TX program.

He took me through the surgery from his perspective. I asked him a ton of questions. It was coooooool. Then I asked him how his golf game was doing. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
L

Lex

New member
At Columbia, you meet with a surgeon as part of the pre-TX program.
<br />
<br />He took me through the surgery from his perspective. I asked him a ton of questions. It was coooooool. Then I asked him how his golf game was doing. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
N

NYCLawGirl

New member
i met with a surgeon too, obviously, since i go to the same center as lex. but the surgeon i met with ended up not being the surgeon who did my surgery -- it was another member of the team. i did go to a q & a session with the guy who ultimately gave me my lungs and i asked a couple of general questions. there were three possible surgeons (you get whomever is "on call" the night you get your offer) and i had met two of them. i was extremely confident in the team and in the procedure.

i asked questions about the type of cut (columbia attempts to do a modified clamshell leaving the sternum intact, but they can't guarantee that in advance), how certain complications would be dealt with if they arose, how long the surgery usually lasts, what the recovery would be like, and what the timeline is in the OR (e.g., are you already open when the lungs arrive, etc). most of my questions were pretty general -- basically i just wanted to have a sense of what would be happening to me while i was asleep. i did ask about a heart condition that i have in addition to CF and what would happen if that flared up during surgery. i was reassured that the surgeons are SUPER well equipped to deal with the unexpected and that they've pretty much seen it all before. it really made me feel better about the process to hear that.

surgeons typically don't have as much patient interaction as, for example, your tx pulmo docs, so they may not be as used to comforting or reassuring patients. on the other hand they typically do have quite a bit of experience with explaining technical procedures to non-doctors and answering questions. i can't imagine any surgeon would balk at taking a lung transplant candidate through the process and discussing individual factors that might complicate the procedure.
 
N

NYCLawGirl

New member
i met with a surgeon too, obviously, since i go to the same center as lex. but the surgeon i met with ended up not being the surgeon who did my surgery -- it was another member of the team. i did go to a q & a session with the guy who ultimately gave me my lungs and i asked a couple of general questions. there were three possible surgeons (you get whomever is "on call" the night you get your offer) and i had met two of them. i was extremely confident in the team and in the procedure.

i asked questions about the type of cut (columbia attempts to do a modified clamshell leaving the sternum intact, but they can't guarantee that in advance), how certain complications would be dealt with if they arose, how long the surgery usually lasts, what the recovery would be like, and what the timeline is in the OR (e.g., are you already open when the lungs arrive, etc). most of my questions were pretty general -- basically i just wanted to have a sense of what would be happening to me while i was asleep. i did ask about a heart condition that i have in addition to CF and what would happen if that flared up during surgery. i was reassured that the surgeons are SUPER well equipped to deal with the unexpected and that they've pretty much seen it all before. it really made me feel better about the process to hear that.

surgeons typically don't have as much patient interaction as, for example, your tx pulmo docs, so they may not be as used to comforting or reassuring patients. on the other hand they typically do have quite a bit of experience with explaining technical procedures to non-doctors and answering questions. i can't imagine any surgeon would balk at taking a lung transplant candidate through the process and discussing individual factors that might complicate the procedure.
 
N

NYCLawGirl

New member
i met with a surgeon too, obviously, since i go to the same center as lex. but the surgeon i met with ended up not being the surgeon who did my surgery -- it was another member of the team. i did go to a q & a session with the guy who ultimately gave me my lungs and i asked a couple of general questions. there were three possible surgeons (you get whomever is "on call" the night you get your offer) and i had met two of them. i was extremely confident in the team and in the procedure.
<br />
<br />i asked questions about the type of cut (columbia attempts to do a modified clamshell leaving the sternum intact, but they can't guarantee that in advance), how certain complications would be dealt with if they arose, how long the surgery usually lasts, what the recovery would be like, and what the timeline is in the OR (e.g., are you already open when the lungs arrive, etc). most of my questions were pretty general -- basically i just wanted to have a sense of what would be happening to me while i was asleep. i did ask about a heart condition that i have in addition to CF and what would happen if that flared up during surgery. i was reassured that the surgeons are SUPER well equipped to deal with the unexpected and that they've pretty much seen it all before. it really made me feel better about the process to hear that.
<br />
<br />surgeons typically don't have as much patient interaction as, for example, your tx pulmo docs, so they may not be as used to comforting or reassuring patients. on the other hand they typically do have quite a bit of experience with explaining technical procedures to non-doctors and answering questions. i can't imagine any surgeon would balk at taking a lung transplant candidate through the process and discussing individual factors that might complicate the procedure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top