props to the surgeons

[Su4n2]

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sorry to post on your board, just wanted to share a recent experience. i just had surgery last week and i was terrified. i have never been in the hospital, never had surgery, never had IV, etc. as the anesthesiologist was putting a mask over my face, my surgeon saw how scared i was and patted my shoulder and held my hand for like 5 min while i was getting sleepy. i even had to apologize later for squeezing so hard. it made me feel safe and cared for, and i was much less scared. so thanx to you surgeons and future surgeons for all that u do...

 

[womansurg]

I'm glad everything went well for you, Su4n2.

Recently I was discussing a published study with a colleague which - by his account, I haven't seen the article - was a retrospective review of women's experiences with various diagnostic modalities for breast mass.

Although the women understandably rated stereotactic breast biopsy as being preferable in terms of cosmesis (smaller scar), time and character of the recovery period, and discomfort incurred, they nonetheless cosistently rated excisional biopsy - a surgical procedure performed in the OR, resulting in an incisional scar and longer recovery - as being the highest in terms of overall satisfaction with their experience. This was due almost entirely to the comfort and reassurances that they received from the pre-op holding, the surgical, and the recovery room personnel.

It's very true that we, perhaps more so than the folks down in radiology, are simply used to dealing with people who are frightened and very intimidated by what they are going through. Making certain that the patient is constantly attended to, talked to, reassured, tending to their comfort, is all an important part of the care that surgical personnel provide. Kudos to your surgery department!

 

[Su4n2]

thanx womansurg,
it was a simple GYN procedure done in an OR in a doctors office. it was a surreal experience tho. i usually don't cry and stuff but i was so scared and the single act of olding my hand made a tremendous difference. it was at the same time acknowlegeing that it is normal to be scared, it also showed me that he was going totake care of me. as i start med school in a month, i am going to remember how good that made me feel and how much i valued such a small act. onm the fun side, when itold this to m hubby he joked that sure it's easy for him to hold peoples hands, most of his patients are cute young women

i hope u are enjoying your new job. susan

 

[Idiopathic]

Let me ask you this:

If, God forbid, something had gone terribly wrong, would the kindness and concern of your physician beforehand have influenced your decision to seek financial restitution? My theory (a widely-held one, actually) is that the rapport is so important that it can overcome traumatic complications and even negligence.

 

[Su4n2]

i actually thought about this but in a different way. this was a gyn procedure. i was alone in a room w/2 men. (well, there may have been nurses, but for this argument say there weren't) i had only met my doctor once b-4. i think rapport is a bridge between doctor and patien and this is most important for a surgeon because he could have done anything to me and i wouldn't have known about it.

on a seperate note, i had gone to him for a completely bdifferentn problem, which didn't even require a physical exam. it was only because he spent 2 hours talking to me, asking me every possible question, and finally convincing me to get an exam (which i jave never had)that he found out som wrong.

on a final note, i can tell u that this is prob the most succesgul and rich doctor in brooklyn. everyone knows him. people say U HAVE to go to Dr.X. now i know why. i can't imagine him getting sued often.

even tho this was a v.simple procedure, it ahs taught me that me how scared patients can get and how simple it is to put their fears at rest.

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by Idiopathic
My theory (a widely-held one, actually) is that the rapport is so important that it can overcome traumatic complications and even negligence.

This is backed up by data. The liklihood of being sued is unrelated to outcome or to negligence as determined by peer review. Instead it correlates to patient's and families' perceptions of the quality of their relationship with the physician.

It's theorized that this is why OB/Gyns have much higher rates of malpractice litigation than do FP's who do obstetrics, despite having better overall outcomes. It's because the FP's are closer to and more trusted by their patients - regardless of their degree of competency.

 

[daveyboy]

WS, where did you get that data? I'd really like to read about that. It definitely makes sense on an intuitive level.

 

[unregistered]

Yo daveyboy,

Read this.

From this week's Medical Economics

http://www.medicaleconomics.com/be_...ed+more+than+others&template=show_article.jsp