How to Choose the Best Shoulder Surgeon
The shoulder is a complex joint essential for many daily activities, making specialist care crucial for shoulder injuries. If you’ve opted for surgical treatment for a shoulder injury, such as a rotator cuff tear or a glenohumeral joint replacement, it’s important to choose the right shoulder surgeon.
If your injury is painful or debilitating, the time you have available to “shop” around is restricted. And, regardless of whether your condition is severe or chronic, you only have one chance to select the right shoulder surgeon.
How do you find the best surgeon for your needs? In this article, we’ll discuss helpful tips to guide your research.
Seek Recommendations
The best place to start is to ask your friends and family in the area if they have shoulder surgeon recommendations. You can also seek referrals from your healthcare professionals.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are often the best endorsements you can get. Not only can you learn about the doctor, but also the pre- and post-operation details and recovery experiences. Does the doctor have a good bedside manner? Was the outcome positive? How was the overall recovery? These are the types of questions that offer wonderful insight into the doctor as a whole.
Online reviews submitted by patients through health networks, hospitals, and insurance companies are another great tool for finding a shoulder doctor. These reviews, combined with your word-of-mouth recommendations, will provide you with a thorough assessment of the shoulder surgeon.
Check Your Insurance
Once you have a list of doctors you’re interested in, the important next step is to confirm that the surgeons on your list accept your insurance. This can often be verified online, with the doctor’s office itself, or by calling the benefits number on your insurance card. This is a crucial financial step to ensure that you pay the least out-of-pocket expenses for your procedure.
Research Education, Credentials, Experience, etc.
Explore each surgeon’s website to find details about their education, experience, certifications, awards, research, and publications.
Choose a doctor who is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and frequently performs shoulder surgeries, like shoulder replacements. A doctor with extensive experience in treating your situation is better equipped to anticipate and manage potential obstacles.
Schedule Interviews
Before your first meeting with an orthopedic surgeon, consider your expectations and what you hope to gain from the visit. Bring any information from previous doctors, including X-rays, other images, and a timeline of treatments you’ve had, such as medications, physical therapy, injections, and surgeries. Be ready to share your story. This will help the surgeon understand your condition’s history and find the best solution.
At your interviews, consider these questions which can help you determine the best surgeon for you.
- How many times has he/she performed this procedure?
- What were the outcomes and complication rates?
- Are they fellowship-trained?
- Is the surgeon specialized?
- Is he/she personable/likable?
- Do I feel comfortable around the surgeon, and did he/she take the time to answer all my questions?
- Do I trust him/her?
Check out the Hospital and Specialists
Orthopaedic surgeries require a team of accomplished and qualified healthcare specialists. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the overall quality of orthopaedic care at the facility where the doctor practices. Identify the hospitals where the orthopedic surgeons on your list practice and research those facilities.
Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Schmidt for all Your Shoulder Needs!
Dr. Christopher Schmidt, a renowned shoulder surgeon, combines exceptional expertise with a patient-first approach. He is acknowledged as one of the top shoulder surgeons in the United States. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he specializes in arthroscopic rotator cuff tear repair and shoulder replacement surgery. Apart from his advanced skills and vast experience, Dr. Schmidt’s compassionate and approachable nature has led his patients to honor him as one of Pennsylvania’s Favorite Physicians (Patients’ Choice).
If you’d like to meet with Dr. Schmidt, contact us at (877) 471-0935 to schedule an appointment at one of his convenient locations in the greater Pittsburgh, PA, area.
