You’ve been having awful knee pain for the past few weeks. You’ve decided to give in and talk to your doctor about what ails you. When you do, the physician confirms your worst fears.
You need surgery. They recommend that you seek out an orthopedic doctor as soon as you can. Choosing the right one can be enough to give anyone a little anxiety.
There are so many orthopedic doctors near me that it can be hard to pick from them all. We can help you narrow down your list a little. Check out this guide to figure out how to find the right physician for the job.
Look for Referrals
There’s a good chance that your regular doctor has a huge referral network. They’ll know which orthopedic doctors can handle your surgery.
If you want to narrow down your list even further, and you know someone who’s had knee surgery in the past, you can ask that person who did their surgery. Of course, you shouldn’t book an appointment with whatever doctor they tell you is good.
A surgeon that works for one person, might not be right for another. That’s why it’s important to seek out patient reviews.
Check Patient Reviews
Type in the name of all the doctors you got from asking for referrals into Google. You should see a list of reviews from other patients. Reading what other people had to say will give you a good idea of what you’d be getting yourself into if you decided to book an appointment.
You’ll learn about how the doctor communicates, what the wait times are like, how clean the office is, and more.
Cost and Availability
You may call an orthopedic doctor near me only to find out that they have no available appointments for a while. If your problem is an emergency, however, they might be willing to squeeze you in.
Before following through with booking the appointment, you need to ask about pricing. If the doctor doesn’t take your insurance, your surgery could become an expensive endeavor.
You can check to see if a doctor is in your network by either calling your insurance company or getting on their website.
Ask About Experience
Before your surgery, you’ll most likely go through a consultation process. This is where you talk to the orthopedic doctor about your needs and concerns.
You don’t want to leave this appointment without talking about the physician’s experience. Ask them how many surgeries like yours they’ve done.
Talk about the complications they’ve encountered while performing the surgery and talk about what your recovery odds are. Not only will this help you find a qualified physician, but it will also give you some peace of mind.
Finding the Best Orthopedic Doctor for Your Needs
If you have to have surgery for your knees or hip, you’re going to need to find a great orthopedic doctor who can perform the procedure. Do your research, ask for referrals, and don’t forget to ask about the physician’s experience.
Do this, and we promise that you’ll have a smooth recovery. For more ways to find a doctor who can take care of your medical needs, visit the Health & Fitness section of our blog.
