Choosing a Physician For Your ACL Surgery

Deciding on a surgeon for your ACL surgery is not as simple as it seems. Between insurance requirements, and other factors, sometimes your choices are limited. However, you should be confident in your surgeons ability, as well as the final outcome of your ACL reconstruction.

What should you consider when you choose your surgeon?

Knee Specialist?

ACL surgery requires technical skill on the part of the surgeon. Philosophies on graft choice and surgical technique are important considerations when choosing your physician. Their philosophies on rehabilitation and return to play timelines should all be considered as well.

A knee specialist can be a good choice. The available surgeons may not actually call themselves knee specialists, but most physicians tend to lean towards one or two body parts as their specialty.

While an orthopedic surgeon may perform surgeries on many different joints, most will develop a passion or love for one joint. That is where their practice tends to focus. Because they focus on one specific area, they have a lot of experience with certain surgeries.

If at all possible, you should choose a surgeon who specializes, or performs lots of knee surgeries, specifically ACL reconstructions.

Research Your Physician

Ask around and see who other health care professionals recommend for your ACL surgery. Your AT or PT will know which surgeons are the best for different procedures.

Talk to your physician about how many ACL surgeries they have done. What are their philosophies regarding rehabilitation after surgery? Do they utilize an accelerated protocol, or are they more conservative? What is the usual time frame for a full recovery? All of these questions are valid and important. Physicians will vary greatly in how they want their patient's rehabilitation conducted after surgery.

Does your physician deal with athletes? Do they regularly treat active individuals? This can play a large role in how quickly you progress after surgery.

Second Opinion?

You should be comfortable with your physician and confident in their ability to give you the best care possible. If you are concerned about your surgery, talk with them about your questions. If they cannot provide you with the reassurance you need, then do not hesitate to seek a second opinion.

Feeling secure in your choice of physicians is important, and will help alleviate some of your concerns about the surgery, so you can focus on your recovery.

Summary

Choosing a surgeon isn't difficult if you do a little bit of research, and ask them the right questions. A second opinion is a good idea if you are not comfortable with your physicians philosophies, or if they cannot answer your questions adequately. Afterall, it is your knee.

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