Surgery can be a major component of your treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, so it’s crucial to choose the surgeon that’s right for you. But how do you go about doing that. According to Dr. Raja Flores, the chairman of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, there’s “no offensive question to ask your doctor.” Here are some areas to explore with your prospective surgeon:
Do You Focus on Lung Surgeries? General thoracic surgeons are board-certified to perform both heart and lung surgeries, but you may want to focus on a practice that’s dedicated to only lung surgeries.
Read More How Many Surgeries Do You Perform Every Year? There are certain advantages to having a high volume of lung procedures, says Dr. Flores. In general, centers that treat more patients are more likely to have the latest technology for treatments, and surgeons with more experience will be more comfortable with your operation. Do You Get Paid Individually for Each Surgery? Some hospitals may incentivize surgeries. That means that surgeons will get paid more for doing more operations. This may not always be in your best interest, Dr. Flores says. What’s Your Complication Rate? Ideally, says Dr. FLores, you want someone who’s done a high volume of surgeries but has a minimal amount of complications.
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