How to Select a Knee Surgeon

Choosing the right surgeon for your knee operation is key to the overall success of the procedure. You want to select a knee surgeon who is competent in the type of surgery that suits your condition. In addition, the doctor should have a support staff that can facilitate your recovery and rehabilitation. Perhaps most important, you should feel comfortable and safe while in your knee surgeon's care.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Learn to Select a Knee Surgeon for You

1. Choose a knee surgeon with a friendly bedside manner. If you don't mind a less cordial surgeon who is equally skilled, this could also be an option for you.

2. Decide what type of surgery is best for your condition. Most knee surgeons do both arthroscopic surgery and knee replacement, but some do not.

3. Make appointments for consultations with two or more doctors. If possible, have the appointments be with doctors who specialize in different approaches to your knee problem.

4. Consider the surgeon's philosophy about non-surgical intervention as a first response.

5. Ask the surgeons how long they have been performing the particular operation which you will undergo.

6. Find out how accessible the doctor is. Some surgeons only see patients for the initial consultation and the actual operation.

7. Have the doctor describe in detail the way surgery, recovery and rehabilitation will be approached.

8. Inquire about your doctor's success rate doing the kind of operation you will be having. Ideally, your surgeon of choice will have a 80 to 90 percent success rate.

9. Inspect the types of implants the surgeon uses, and investigate their reliability.

10. Note the surgeon's policy on dealing with knee problems that do not respond to surgery.

11. Meet with the surgeon's support staff before making a final decision about your operation.

12. Validate the credentials of the surgeons you think you may select. You can get information about physicians from the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (see Resources below).

13. Tour the doctors' professional offices as well as the rehabilitation facilities and hospitals with which they are associated.

14. Ask your insurance company to pre-authorize your surgeon 2 to 4 weeks prior to surgery.

Tips & Warnings

• Doctors who work at or with sports facilities are often on the cutting edge of medical advances.
• If you live in a city with a major university or sports team, contact their athletic departments for information on local surgeons who deal with knee injuries.
• If you find a surgeon you want for your operation who is outside your insurance provider's network, discuss this with the surgeon's insurance department. They may be willing to work with you.

Resources

• American Medical Association
• American College of Surgeons
• Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons

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