Surgery can be frightening whether you have had an operation before or if you have never had to be in a hospital. If you ask Bay Surgical Specialists, as well as other surgeons, a few questions, then you might find that some of your fears will go away before the surgery date.

It’s important to find out why you need surgery and if there are any other options available. If there are treatments that the doctor hasn’t tried, then you might want to explore these unless surgery is the only option. Find out where the surgery will take place and how long it will last. You should also ask about the recovery. See if there are any limitations on what you can do when you get home or if there are any medications that you need to take. Some doctors want patients to stay in the hospital for a night or two depending on the kind of surgery.

When you know why the surgery is being done, find out about the benefits as well as any risks that are associated with the surgery. There are some surgeries that might require a follow-up operation in order to give the best results. When you get home, you will probably want to have something for pain. Ask what is available and if there are any risks with the medication that is given for pain. Some medications can be addicting, so you need to know if there are any that can be prescribed that have minimal effects while still providing comfort. Ask about the anesthesia. Some surgeries can be performed with a local anesthetic while others require general anesthesia. Find out how long the doctor has been performing surgery and the qualifications of the anesthesiologist. Write down as much information as possible before and after meeting with the doctor.