Whether surgery is indicated in your case
The first question is not the date. It is whether operating is the right step. For the gallbladder, surgery is considered when stones cause symptoms. An inguinal hernia does not close on its own, but the timing is decided after the lump is seen. Appendicitis is not scheduled: it is seen in the emergency department.
Ask what would happen if you did not have surgery now, and what alternative exists if there is one. Both answers belong in the consultation.
Who goes into the operating room
Ask for the name of the person who will operate, not only the name of the team. In this office I do the assessment and the operation. The follow-up as well. If somewhere else one doctor assesses you and another operates, that is a fair question and it deserves a plain answer.
Which approach, and what happens if the abdomen has to be opened
Laparoscopically I use three incisions of about one centimetre when the case allows. Sometimes a fourth is needed. Ask whether that is the planned approach in your case, and what finding would mean converting to open surgery.
Converting is not the plan. It can be the safer course if there is severe inflammation, scarring from earlier surgery, or difficult anatomy. It changes recovery and the quote. When it is foreseeable, it is explained before the date is set.
What the quote includes, and what insurance covers
Ask for the quote in writing and the date it is valid until. It should say what it includes and what can change it: conversion to open surgery, extra nights in hospital, a finding that was not in the plan. I do not publish one figure precisely because those variables exist.
If you are using insurance, ask which insurers the office reviews, what the policy needs in order to authorise, and what share you would pay. We work with thirteen insurers. Cover is confirmed before scheduling, not on the day of admission. The list is on the insurance page.
This guide is for orientation. It does not replace a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no price on the page?
Because the case changes the result: the approach, the stay, the findings and the policy. The final quote is given in writing at the consultation, with its validity period.
Is laparoscopy always three small cuts?
When the case allows it, there are three incisions of about one centimetre, sometimes a fourth. If the abdomen has to be opened, the reason is explained.
Can I come to the visit with only these questions?
Yes. Written down is better. Earlier studies, a list of medicines and, if it applies, the policy also help. What else to bring is in the guide to the first consultation.
