Insurance

If you just found out that you require spine surgery, it is imperative that you locate the best surgeon you can to perform the operation. Finding a competent doctor to perform your specific procedure is as an important a decision as anything you have ever made in your life. Yet finding a qualified physician minimizes your risks when putting all your trust in their level of experience.

1. Seek the advice of your primary health care physician.

Because your general practitioners or primary health care physicians refer patients for specialized care, they generally have a large knowledge base on exactly which physicians in your area are the best. The patients he or she has previously referred out to qualify physicians have returned to them for general care. They have first-hand knowledge on the positive or negative results of spine surgery performed by the specialized physicians they are referring for you.

2. Your insurance provider will offer you a list of doctors.

While it is true that your insurance provider will only give you a list of doctors that are currently working with the insurance carrier, it only seems logical that they would refer someone who would do the job well enough to not require additional surgeries. Doing it right the first time saves the insurance carrier money in the end, and they are likely to refer only highly qualified specialists.

3. Seek references from the specialized physician.

The doctor who has been recommended to perform your surgery has obviously done the procedure many times before. Asking for recommendations of patients of theirs, who have gone through similar operations, and are willing to talk about their experiences, can help you determine if you should go ahead with the spine surgery from this physician.

4. Online forums are a great tool for information.

Many online forums and physician's websites can offer you a lot of information by people that have been in the same situation and required your type of spine surgery. Communicating directly with these previous patients can answer many of your questions to help you understand what questions to ask your physician prior to your spine surgery.