Should I have surgery?

Surgery is defined as:

the branch of health science that treats diseases, injuries, and deformities by manual or operative methods.

It is often assumed that if we have surgery we will be “fixed” and we can do everything we used to be able to do. Unfortunately this is not always the case.

I have seen both ends of the spectrum. There have been some circumstances where surgery was a complete success and others where surgery failed to assist or there were complications.

Let me answer some of the most common questions I get as an Exercise Physiologist.

Is surgery going to help me?

This is not as simple yes or no question as a number of factors need to be taken into consideration for yourself as an individual if you are electing to undergo surgery. Everyone’s response to surgery will be different and you should try to obtain as much information about your condition and the elected surgery to help make an informed decision. This will help you determine if surgery is the best option for you. Of course I am happy to help obtain and provide information to help you.

I’m nervous about surgery, is this normal?

Yes this is normal. It is not uncommon to feel nervous leading up to a surgery. Occasionally being nervous could mean you have some unanswered questions that you need answered in order to feel more comfortable. Ask the treating specialist all the questions you have, if more come up outside of the consulting room, call the specialist and ask for them to be answered. This may help calm the nerves.

How long will the recovery period be following surgery?

Once again not a simple question to answer. Generally speaking it is estimated that it can take approximately 12 weeks (3 months) for the body tissues to heal following surgery.  This can obviously be different depending on the complexity of the surgery and how your body responds to the surgery and subsequent treatment.

I don’t really want to have surgery, do I have to?

That is a decision that you need to make. It is your body and your choice whether you elect to undergo surgery or not. Ask yourself what is the purpose of the surgery? What am I expecting to be like with or without the surgery? and will it will help me do what I want to do following?

What can I expect my program to be like following?

This would be be a graded approach to returning you to function and doing the activities you want to be able to do. You will be gradually exposed to those activities and build up strength and conditioning to assist. You will also be guided to learn how to manage your condition independently.

What are your thoughts about “x” specialist?

It is more important what your thoughts are about X specialist. If you do not feel comfortable with them, you are entitled to consider a second opinion. Do your research and ask as many questions as you can in order to make an informed decision.

Don’t get me wrong, surgery does have its place in the medical model and is appropriate for select individuals and circumstances. However we need to be conscious of the language we use and communicating honestly about the expectations regarding surgery.