Ever wonder what sort of questions you need to ask your doctor when preparing for treatment?  We have put together a few of those for you!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR IN PREPARING FOR SURGERY/TREATMENT

By Carrie Myrick Hirmer

1.         What possible problems should I look for after brain surgery?

2.         What happens after I am discharged from the hospital after brain surgery?

3.         What type of operation do I need?

4.         What do you expect the surgery to achieve?

5.         Will the operation cure my brain aneurysm/AMV/SAH?

6.         Will I need any other procedure after surgery?

7.         How likely is it that the aneurysm/AVM/SAH will come back at some time in the future?

8.         What are the risks and benefits of this operation/procedure?

9.         What are the likely long-term effects of this operation?

10.      How can I best prepare myself for this operation?

11.      When I wake up, will I be in intensive care?

12.      How long do you expect me to be unconscious after surgery?

13.      What are the possible complications of this type of operation/procedure?

14.      What will happen if I don’t have surgery?

15.      Is there any other type of treatment I could have?

16.      How long will it take me to get over this operation?

17.      How can I help myself recover?

18.      Who will speak to my family after the surgery?

19.      What kind of timeframe am I looking after for total recovery?

20.      Is complete recovery possible?

Please note: This list it is not meant to be all-inclusive, rather a guideline to get you to think about the things that you might want to discuss with your doctor. All cases are unique, so some of these questions may not apply to your case, and you may want to add some additional questions as well. You may want to talk with your doctor about what you need to do to designate a health care proxy – someone to make decisions for you when you’re put to sleep or otherwise make decisions for yourself. Also, be sure your file has emergency names and contact phone numbers.

© The Joe Niekro Foundation

For more information, please visit our website – http://www.joeniekrofoundation.org

For online support, please visit these groups, sponsored by The Joe Niekro Foundation

The Brain Aneurysm/AVM Support Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/aneurysmavm/

Parents of Brain Aneurysm/AVM Children Support Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/ParentsBAAVM/