Here are some other things to get you started gathering information when seeking a surgeon. 

Don't hesitate to add to your list as needed!

I. Questions About The Practice

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A. General Identification:

1. What is the name of the practice or affiliated institution?

2. What is the date the information was received?

3. What are the full names of all the surgeons affiliated with this practice who perform this type operation?

Surgeon Names

B. Location and Contact:

1. What country is the practice located in?

2. What city is the practice in or near?

3. What is the major airport nearest to the practice?

4. What is the international street address of the practice?

5. What is the international mailing address of the practice (if different)?

6. What is the international fax number of the practice?

7. What is the international primary phone number for initial inquiries?

8. Please list alternate or older phone numbers with a note as to whether they are still used:

9. What is the primary email address for initial inquiries?

10. Please list alternate or older email addresses with a note as to whether they are still used:

11. What is the primary URL for the practice?

12. What is the URL for the part of the practice which focuses on your surgery type (if different from above)?

13. What language(s) is the practice set up to communicate in by text?

14. What language(s) is the practice set up to communicate in by phone?

C. Institutional Policies:

1. What are the accommodations like for friends or family who come with the patient?

2. How much contact with the surgeon can the patients expect post surgery?

3. How much contact with other medical staff with SRS recovery experience can the patient expect post surgery?

4. How much time does the patient spend in the hospital?

5. How much time should the patient spend near the hospital after release?

6. What is the policy on revisions?  Who pays for what?

7. What disqualifies a person from being a patient?

II. Questions About Surgeons

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A. Identification Issues

1. What is the full name of the surgeon (copy from question I.A.3.)?

2. What name(s) or nickname(s) does the surgeon go by with patients?

3. Is this the senior, chief, or only surgeon of the practice?

4. What other practices is the surgeon affiliated with?

B. Background

1. What is the gender status of the surgeon?

2. What languages can the surgeon "get by" in?

3. What languages does the surgeon speak fluently?

4. Credentials and other potentially relevant certifications of the surgeon (such as college, medical degrees, board certs, ISO compliance, and so on):

5. What year did the surgeon start performing this procedure?

6. Who has the surgeon learned about from (or watched do) this procedure (if anyone)?

7. How many procedures of this type has the surgeon performed?

8. How many procedures of this type has the surgeon performed in the last five years?

9. How many procedures of this type has the surgeon performed in the last year?

10. If a patient has all their qualifications and money ready to go, what is the minimum reasonable time between contacting the practice and being treated by the surgeon?

11. What other kinds of procedures can/will the surgeon do at the same time?

12. What are the generally distinct procedures the surgeon does and how do they differ from other surgeons? 

III. Questions About Procedural Variations

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A. Identification of the procedure

1. What is the surgeon's preferred name for this procedure?

2. What name or names does the procedure go by elsewhere?

3. If this procedure is part of a sequence of several, what procedure comes immediately before this?

4. If this procedure is part of a sequence of several, what procedure comes immediately after this?

5. Details of the procedure in a way that contrasts it with other procedures that this and other surgeon's perform.

Giving a URL is even better that writing out what happens.

6. Details of the criteria that distinguish whether a patient is a good candidate or a bad candidate for this procedure versus a different procedure, or versus the same procedure by a surgeon with different specialties, or versus not operation at all.

B. The process and the results

1. What are the anesthetic options for this procedure?

2. What is the average number of hours in surgery for this procedure?

3. What is the average amount of blood loss during surgery for this procedure?

4. What is the average number of pints of blood transfused into patients for this procedure?

5. What is the average depth of the vaginal canal for this procedure?

6. What is the average final cost (in the currency that prices are set in) for this procedure in fees for the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the facility, and the hospital stay, any time in typical hotels or special after care facilities, etc., but *excluding* travel costs?

7. What if any major complication has the surgeon had in the past 5 years, past year?

8.  What was the patient outcome?

9.  Is the surgeon willing to put you in contact with former patients that have had this type procedure so they can attest to the outcome?

10. Is the surgeon willing to discuss the details of the surgery with you and consider / research other options / procedures performed elsewhere which may be more beneficial?