11/18/2024    Joel Lang, DPM

My Surgical Experience as a Patient

I recently had an outpatient surgical procedure
under general anesthesia. While the procedure
itself went well and I have largely recovered, I
feel there are lessons I can share here regarding
this experience. I was told to show up early for
the procedure to complete about eight pages of
medical information forms and releases. So at a
time when I was most anxious about the procedure
itself, I had lots of forms to complete.

Between the time I was told in the office that the
procedure was necessary and the actual arrival at
the surgi-center for the procedure, I accumulated
several additional questions for the surgeon and
the anesthesiologist. Both were very busy with
their schedule at that time and had only limited
time to spend answering questions.

After completion of the procedure, while I was
groggy and lightheaded from the anesthesia, post
operative instructions (written and oral) were
given to my son (who is not a doctor) who
accompanied me. A prescription was electronically
sent to my local pharmacy to be picked up on the
way home, potentially delaying my return home.
Instead, I opted to go straight home. As a result,
my son had to make a separate trip to pick up my
prescription.

My follow=up appointment was given as part of my
post-op written instructions. There was no
opportunity for my input as per time and place. I
could not help but compare this procedure to my
procedure when I was in practice (now retired for
27 years). As further explanation, when in
practice, I was double board certified in foot and
ankle surgery and operated out of four different
hospitals. This was my procedure.

Except for simple nail and skin procedures
performed in the office, I always scheduled a
“pre-operative conference” with the patient days
before the procedure. It was there that the
patient filled out as much of the pre-op paperwork
as possible, including the surgical release form.
The procedure was described in appropriate detail
and all questions were answered in advance.

The patient was given written pre-op and post-op
instructions as well as a post-op prescription and
all were explained. Any questions were answered
at that time. The patient knew in advance what to
expect at surgery and afterward and had the
opportunity to get their medication in advance and
have it waiting at home for them after the
procedure.

Their post-op appointment was made at that time,
making it more convenient for the patient and
allowing them to arrange transportation in
advance.

This visit usually took about 20 minutes and was
included in the surgical fee and provided at no
additional cost.

After the procedure, a brief visit with the
patient was all that was necessary, indicating
that all went well (if it did) and what rare
complications were encountered, if any.

I believed that this showed the patient by word
and deed that my primary concern was for their
comfort and well-being. If this seems like too
much trouble, just know that in 37 years of
practice I never had a single mal-practice case,
despite a few really bad surgical outcomes.

I thought I would share this comparison with my
colleagues in the hope that some are inspired to
make their surgical patient encounters smoother
and beneficial for both parties.

Finally, I also had some unusual operating room
procedures that made the actual surgery more
efficient, take less time and made safer for the
patient. If anyone is interested, they can contact
me at langfinancial@verizon.net .

Joel Lang, DPM (retired), Cheverly, MD

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