--- Informed Consent ---

Informed consent is a good idea, in theory. As a statement on a piece of paper you sign in the waiting room, the consent merely represents that, whether the doctor informs you or not, it is accepted that he has informed you --- this, regardless of whether he informed you or when it is documented in your medical charts.

Always have a friend or relative read and sign off on your consent forms to ensure that everyone is fully knowledgeable of the procedure and resulting surgery. Many times, you are either in pain, nervous, or drugged and may not understand what you are signing. By having a friend or relative with you to oversee the forms, you will be able to feel secure that someone is there to help and understand the legal, political, and medical ramifications of the forms.

--- From the Hip ---

To reduce risk, many doctors perform redundant and unnecessary diagnostic tests and offer only middle-of-the-road medical advice and procedures, even when they know that other treatments would be more beneficial. But, it's a trade off. Sub-standard care is politically acceptable to limit risk, which in turn raises risk because of sub-standard care.

Know the procedure and understand why the doctors are performing the noted procedure. Determine if it's important and if it applies to the situation at hand or are they only performing the procedure to side-track you from having any surgery that is beyond the scope of the surgeon's expertise or liability insurance coverage. If in doubt, seek a second opinion at all costs.

--- Qualifications ---

Ask your doctor what type of training he has had for the given procedure and how many similar procedures he has performed as well as return or failure rates and how he resolved them. If he is going to use hardware, find out how much training he has experienced from the hardware company and if a hardware representative will be present in the operating room.

--- Explanted Devices ---

Always request that all explanted hardware or other such devices be sent to pathology and stored. This, especially, if the hardware or device fails. Once you're on your feet, have it sent to the hardware manufacturer for review. The manufacturer is responsible for submitting a failure report to the FDA. In this situation, not only will you know why it failed, but you will also be helping someone else in the future by working toward a better piece of hardware.

Additionally, personally file a report with the FDA to note that the hardware was returned to the hardware company for review. Whether there is a problem or not, it is important that the FDA be aware of the situation so that they can track any resulting issues with the respective hardware or device. Note that this no only applies to hardware and procedures, but also to medications and their related side-effects. The FDA form can be found at http://www.fda.gov/ under their "Report a Problem" link.

--- Contact Vendors ---

If you have any hardware or devices, find out all you can about the hardware including failure rates, prior litigation, and circumstances that might affect your life and well-being. Be knowledgeable about your "equipment". Find out the product name and its manufacturer from your physician or surgeon. Call the manufacturer or even speak with the local sales representatives to find out as much as possible. In most cases, the doctor will neither know, nor care, about the failure rates of a given product. You are 100% within your rights to call any manufacturer of any drug, process, or hardware that will be used in a surgery to find out the details, side-effects, failure rates, and any other information important to you.

--- Governing Bodies ---

Although the governing bodies of a state are of little use when it comes to the medical community, it is always a good idea to report issues of negligence. Contact your state's board of medical examiners as well as forward letters to your congressmen, assemblymen, and federal representatives to ensure that your voice is heard. So many medical issues are merely dismissed under the assumption that the patient will simply "go away." Politicians are not proactive and will only react when a situation reaches critical mass, therefore, by voicing your issues with them, the problem is noted for future reference.

--- Drugs ---

I have seen three cases that, if a given drug is taken for an extended period of time, physical manifestations begin to take their toll. Once the person goes through the withdrawals, the physical issues do indeed go away. But, in the mean time, the doctors are treating the physical symptoms instead of examining the fact that indeed the drugs are causing much of the problem.

Know the side-effects of the drugs you will be taking as, indeed, sometimes the side-effects are more gruesome than the item for which the drug is taken. Understand your medications and how they interact with other medications, herbs, vitamins, and any type of food or drink. Contact your local poison control center or a drug rehab center to obtain additional information on drug reactions, side-effects, and interactions.

--- Follow-up Care ---

It is important to ensure proper follow-up care for yourself. If you're in pain, request that your doctor refer you to a pain manager. If you're having problems with mobility, request an evaluation with a physical therapist. In most cases, a good doctor will set up your various follow-up referrals; however, be aware that you need to know that this is an important part of your follow-up for any procedure.

Establish your own plan of attack to resolve an issue and discuss it with your doctor. Determine what you feel needs to be done and then discuss it with your doctor to define a plan of resolution or long-term care. Also, contact your insurance company to discuss available paths as well as acceptable procedures and policies. Be proactive in your care!

--- What's next? ---

Many people are scared of the system put in place for the medical community. But, you need to be aware that you can take advantage of this situation and use the multitude of services available to acquire information and make yourself feel better that you are receiving appropriate care.

Of course, trust your doctor. But, ask questions. Smarten yourself up to the point that you can converse with your doctor and pose questions that are pertinent to your concerns. The focus is "pertinent to your concerns." You don't have to be a doctor to understand what is going on in your own body.

Don't be afraid! Be informed! Take care of yourself and ask the right questions. Question government organizations on policies and procedures. Question the doctor and his staff. Not only is a surgery or physical issue a problem physically, but it also affects you mentally. Poor mental health can lead to other issues and throw you into a spiral. Get answers and know exactly what is going on with your system. Bring a family member or spouse with you and have them take part to help you find out what's going on and how to resolve the situation together.

Obviously, as a life strategy coach, I cannot give medical advice, but I can provide information to help you move in a better direction with your life. With the various debacles surrounding my wife's spinal surgeries, I have learned a tremendous amount about dealing with the political, legal, and medical community and how to ensure that my wife received proper care. All of this information comes from my own experiences, research, and through various experiences with others.

Be proactive! 
Take part in your own health care!