Surgeon’s risky behavior must be addressed
Dear Amy: I’m in my 60s and undergoing cancer treatment, therefore immunocompromised.
At both of my appointments with my surgeon, she has worn a loose fitting, thin, cloth mask. She has to get ver y close to me — face to face — to examine me. This has made me extremely uncomfortable, and frankly angr y. She has unnecessarily caused me additional stress during the most stressful period of my life. I didn’t say anything to her either time, because it felt too awkward.
In about a month she will have my life in her hands, and I don’t want her having any potential negative feelings toward me when I go under the knife. I’ve written an anonymous letter about this, which I haven’t sent. I want to report her primarily so she will use adequate PPE, but I don’t want repercussions. How should I handle this?
— Cautious in Colorado
Dear Cautious: Dear Cautious: Your question reveals that the trust you should have may be missing with this surgeon.
I shared your question with a friend who is a cancer surgeon with 30 years of experience at a major cancer center. He and I share concern about you, and his response follows:
“Patient safety is paramount, not just during surger y, but also before and after. Almost ever yone is ner vous before surger y, but you should not also carry the anxiety of mistrust with you into the operating room. You should be cautious, because no matter how many operations your surgeon has done, this is your one.
“Your surgeon should create an environment where you are able to express your concerns and ask questions. Ideally, you should raise your concern directly to her. How she responds will be ver y revealing. If she apologizes and thanks you for bringing this to her attention; that’s a good sign. If she is defensive, you should seek another surgeon.”
“You and your loved ones are your best advocates, but if your hospital has a patients’ advocate’s office, report your concern to them.
“There are many fine cancer surgeons out there. For critical and important insights, read reviews of them. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Ser vices (Cms.gov) is working to make this information more transparent with ‘star ratings’ — and many hospitals advertise these scores.