Questions about surgery

Below are some questions about surgery to ask your doctor to learn more about it as a treatment option. If you don’t understand your doctor’s answers, ask for clarification. Asking your doctor questions will help you make an informed choice. 

Learn about questions on:

• Information about the surgeon
• Treatment choice
• The surgery
• Side effects and recovery
• Before leaving the hospital

Information about the surgeon

• Do you work in a multidisciplinary team (MDT)?
• Do you specialise in this type of surgery? How were you trained?
• How many times have you done this surgery?
• Which hospitals do you operate in?

Treatment choice

• Why do I need surgery?
• Do I have a choice of treatments?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of surgery for me?
• How successful is this type of surgery for this type of cancer?
• Are there any clinical practice guidelines on how to treat this type of cancer?
• How much does the surgery cost? Are there any extra costs I should know about, such as costs related to anaesthesia?
• Can I talk to someone who has had this surgery?
• Can I get a second opinion?
• Will I need other treatment before or after surgery?

The surgery

• What type of surgery will I have, e.g. open surgery or keyhole surgery?
• What exactly will you do during the operation? Will you remove part of the tumour or all of the cancer?
• How long will the surgery take?
• Could your plans to operate on me change? Why?
• What anaesthetic will I receive? How will it be given?
• When will I meet the anaesthetist?
• What are the potential risks and complications?
• Will I need a blood transfusion?
• Where will I have the surgery?

Side effects and recovery

• What are the effects of the surgery (e.g. will it affect my mobility, diet, ability to work, fertility, sex life)? What are the long-term effects?
• Will I have tubes and drains?
• Will I have any pain? How will it be managed?
• How long will I be in hospital?
• Will I need rehabilitation? Will I have it as an inpatient or outpatient?
• When I go home, will I be provided with written information about my after-care?
• What kind of support is available to people who have this type of surgery?

Before leaving hospital

• Will the stitches need to be taken out or will they dissolve?
• Will the wound dressing need to be changed? Who will do this?
• Can I eat my usual diet?
• What problems should I look out for when I go home?
• Who should I call if I have a problem?
• How often will I need check-ups?
• Can I have a shower or bath?
• When do I need to see my surgeon for a follow-up?
• When can I go back to work? Can I do my usual activities (e.g. exercise, housework, driving)?
• What medicines do I need to take?

Before the surgery, my doctor discussed the complications that could occur afterwards. It was full‑on hearing about it, but I wanted to know everything that could happen.

Kathleen