Hi; my almost daughter in law will be visiting a neurosurgeon for the first time on February 3rd. She had a MRI done in December and has had a hard time finding a surgeon that would take her insurance. But before she see's him she wants to make a list of questions to ask. We don't know what to ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Catherine,
One of the questions I would consider the most important is, how many AVM patients has he/she treated?
Outcomes of surgeries?
Does he/she anticipate any deficits? If so, will there be therapy available in the hospital?
Does he/she have other AVM patients willing to share their experience(s) - someone you can connect with?
Keep asking away - this is a GREAT website! :)
Best wishes to you and your daughter,
Patti
Cart before the horse maybe?
Did a neurologist or a team recommend a neurosurgeon? It’s like the old saying, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail to you. A neurosurgeon knows surgery, but might not be the best one (and likely is not) to find out if surgery is the best course of treatment for you. He will most likely only tell you Yes I can operate or No I can’t. I guess that’s important to know, but someone or a team that is knowledgeable of embolizations, radiation, AND surgery should be able to look at your scans, understand your condition and suggest to you a course of treatment. They should be able to tell you the pros and cons of each, as well as the risks of each.
Hope this helps.
Ron, KS
Catherine,...
Here are some of the AVM questions I had for my neurosurgeon.
Size of AVM.
Location of AVM.
Condition of AVM.
AVM feeders.
Venous drainage (if any)
Associated anurysms (if any)
Surgical procedure estimated length (time wise)
Recovery/rehabilitation/therapy (time wise)
Possible or estimated physical/mental/cognative limitations if any. (pre and post procedure)
Possible side effects (pending on procedure performed, radiological or craniotomy)
Pros and cons of procedure selected.
Current patient referrals.
Now,....specific questions for your surgeon/neurosurgeon;
How many times have you performed this procedure ? (experience counts)
Number of times successful procedure performed, compared to number of times total procedure performed. (% of successful results)
Medical school attended and any specialized training ?
Who was he/she trained by ?
Will this be performed by a "team" or associated medical professionals or "your team" ?
Are you experienced with steriotactic (ie. gamma knife, cyber knife),... AND,... invasive surgical procedures ?
Catherine,..take a note book with you and write down as much information as you can. Batter yet,..a tape recorder or a tape recording device. This way one can review the answers to your questions at a later date.
I have tried to think of all the questions I asked my Doctor, but I am sure I have left out many I should have asked as well. If I may be of any other service to you and your daughter,...please don't hesitate and ask, as I will be more than happy to help.
William
Catherine,...
In addendum,...
Don't be afraid or intimidated to ask whatever questions you may have, you have a right to good proper answers, not only for your own edification, but for your daughters, as it is her life on the line here.
Remember,...there are NO silly, stupid or mundane questions,....for questions deserve answers,...answers = information,...information = knowledge,...knowledge = power,...the power to help/assist with choosing the proper and correct procedure for your daughter.
Catherine,...good luck,...I hope I have helped a lil' bit.
William
P.S. yes I can spell quite well,...I just can't type werth a dayum,....(eg: batter = better),....LOL
William thank you so much for taking the time to help. I written down what you suggested and what others have said also. I believe being “forwarned is forarmed”. I really appreciate this site.
William said:
Catherine,...
In addendum,...
Don't be afraid or intimidated to ask whatever questions you may have, you have a right to good proper answers, not only for your own edification, but for your daughters, as it is her life on the line here.
Remember,...there are NO silly, stupid or mundane questions,....for questions deserve answers,...answers = information,...information = knowledge,...knowledge = power,...the power to help/assist with choosing the proper and correct procedure for your daughter.
Catherine,...good luck,...I hope I have helped a lil' bit.
William
P.S. yes I can spell quite well,...I just can't type werth a dayum,....(eg: batter = better),....LOL
Hi Ron; Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. I don’t know if the cart is before the horse or not. This is all new to me. But I will take your council to heart and ask for their suggested course of treatment. Or another referral. I know that we are just at the beginning of a long journey and we are scared, but knowing that there are people out there like you is very heartening.
Ron, KS said:
Cart before the horse maybe?
Did a neurologist or a team recommend a neurosurgeon? It's like the old saying, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail to you. A neurosurgeon knows surgery, but might not be the best one (and likely is not) to find out if surgery is the best course of treatment for you. He will most likely only tell you Yes I can operate or No I can't. I guess that's important to know, but someone or a team that is knowledgeable of embolizations, radiation, AND surgery should be able to look at your scans, understand your condition and suggest to you a course of treatment. They should be able to tell you the pros and cons of each, as well as the risks of each.
Hope this helps.
Ron, KS
Hi Patti;
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I think your suggestions are great question to ask. I have written all the responses down so I will have a list with me when we go. Sometimes it seems that ignorance is bliss. But I know in this case I want to be prepared so I can help Cass. deal with what ever they tell her. Thanks again.
Patti Gilstrap said:
Hi Catherine,
One of the questions I would consider the most important is, how many AVM patients has he/she treated?
Outcomes of surgeries?
Does he/she anticipate any deficits? If so, will there be therapy available in the hospital?
Does he/she have other AVM patients willing to share their experience(s) - someone you can connect with?
Keep asking away - this is a GREAT website! :)
Best wishes to you and your daughter,
Patti