How To Prepare For Your First Consultation

Your first consultation with one of our surgeons here at Bay Area Surgical Specialists is very important because it establishes a surgeon-patient relationship beyond simply discussing treatment options. The first consultation gives each of our patients the opportunity to learn more about our practice and our surgeons and feel comfortable with the treatment option they ultimately decide upon.

There are several steps to take that will allow you to fully prepare for your first consultation with us.  First, having the necessary documentation and test results available for us to understand more about your medical history is critical. We will coordinate with your primary care physician and any other specialist that has treated you in the past in order to get an idea of your medical history. During this discovery phase, we encourage you to be forthcoming with any and all medical issues that you may be experiencing, including habits that you may be reluctant to discuss. This phase of the consultation helps us ensure the safest and most effective procedure for your particular circumstance.

You can also help expedite the preoperative testing phase by bringing any and all test results that you may have received in the recent past. Tests such as x-rays, echocardiograms, CT scans and more will be very useful in assisting us to understand your condition more fully.  Even if we need to run additional tests, previous diagnostic information can help us track the progression, if any, of your disease.

We suggest that you bring any and all questions you may have about your condition and treatment of the disease to your first consultation. It is important that you understand your diagnosis and that all of your questions are answered fully. Even if you have received answers from the Internet or other sources, your particular circumstance may present certain opportunities or challenges to standard treatment.

Finally, we want you to get to know us, and vice versa. Feeling comfortable with your medical team is a very important part of the surgical process. For that reason, we would like you to arrive at your consultation with an open mind and as little anxiety as possible. A clear line of communication between you and our medical team is the best way to ensure a full understanding of what lies ahead.

We look forward to offering you the very best and safest surgical care. Please feel free to contact our office at any time to learn more about our practice, our physicians and to schedule a consultation.