npr:

So your doctor has told you some of the scariest words you can possibly hear: You need surgery. What do you do next?

If you need an emergency surgery, like an appendectomy or a procedure after an accident, you usually don’t have much choice in the matter. You’ll likely get it done in the hospital where you went to the emergency room, unless the hospital isn’t equipped to do it. If that’s the case, you’ll get transferred.

But if you’ve been told you need a less-than-urgent procedure — something like a joint replacement, or a surgery to remove cancer — you actually have quite a bit a choice about where you go. That choice can make a big difference to your health.

When my patients come to me, a primary care doctor, and ask for my advice in picking a surgeon, I usually start by asking them a few questions.

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