Mature Life Features

. . .doing nothing

is that you never run out

of nothing to do.

X Marks the Surgeon’s Spot

Make sure the surgeon places an X to mark the spot where you’re going to have surgery. It’s rare, but surgeons have made and will continue to make mistakes and operate on the wrong part of the body.

Many medical groups urge their members to use a marking pen to show the place that they will operate on, so don’t be afraid to ask your surgeon to make his or her mark so you can see it before you head for the operating room.

This is just one of the questions you should ask your doctor when surgery is recommended. Find out what benefits to expect, the length of the recovery time, and what type of anesthesia will be used and how it will affect you.

You should also determine how much of the cost of the operation is covered by medical insurance, and whether a second opinion is required and/or covered. And don’t be afraid to ask how much the total medical-services and hospital bill will be for the surgery, anesthesia, post-operative care, recovery, and  follow-up therapy.

Critical queries to add are the “what happens if” questions: “What happens if I choose not to have the surgery?” and “What happens if something goes wrong?”

And before he or she marks X on the spot, ask for a detailed explanation of the operation. They can draw a picture or diagram and explain the steps in the surgery.