• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Longevity / Healthy Aging / 7 Questions Older Americans Should Ask Their Surgeon

7 Questions Older Americans Should Ask Their Surgeon

surgeon

How does one determine if potential benefits from major surgery are worth the risks? And what questions should older adults ask as they try to figure this out? Here’s what several experts suggest.

What’s the goal of this surgery?

Ask your surgeon, “How is this surgery going to make things better for me?” says Margaret “Gretchen” Schwarze, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Will it extend your life by removing a fast-growing tumor? Will your quality of life improve by making it easier to walk? Will it prevent you from becoming disabled, akin to a hip replacement?

If your surgeon says, “We need to remove this growth or clear this blockage,” ask what impact that will have on your daily life. Just because an abnormality such as a hernia has been found doesn’t mean it has to be addressed, especially if you don’t have bothersome symptoms and the procedure comes with complications, says Drs. Robert Becher and Thomas Gill of Yale University, authors of that recent paper on major surgery in older adults.

If things go well, what can I expect?

Schwarze, a vascular surgeon, often cares for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms, an enlargement in a major blood vessel that can be life-threatening if it bursts.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

Here’s how she describes a “best case” surgical scenario for that condition: “Surgery will be about four to five hours. When it’s over, you’ll be in the ICU with a breathing tube overnight for a day or two. Then, you’ll be in the hospital for another week or so. Afterwards, you’ll probably have to go to rehab to get your strength back, but I think you can get back home in three to four weeks, and it’ll probably take you two to three months to feel like you did before surgery.”

Among other things people might ask their surgeon, according to a patient brochure Schwarze’s team has created: What will my daily life look like right after surgery? Three months later? One year later? Will I need help, and for how long? Will tubes or drains be inserted?

RELATED: Recovering From Prostate Surgery? Here’s What To Expect

If things don’t go well, what can I expect?

A “worst case” scenario might look like this, according to Schwarze: “You have surgery, and you go to the ICU, and you have serious complications. You have a heart attack. Three weeks after surgery, you’re still in the ICU with a breathing tube, and you’ve lost most of your strength, and there’s no chance of ever getting home again. Or, the surgery didn’t work, and still you’ve gone through all this.”

“People often think I’ll just die on the operating table if things go wrong,” says Dr. Emily Finlayson, director of the UCSF Center for Surgery in Older Adults in San Francisco. “But we’re very good at rescuing people, and we can keep you alive for a long time. The reality is, there can be a lot of pain and suffering and interventions like feeding tubes and ventilators if things don’t go the way we hope.”

You May Also Like
How One Woman Eliminated 50 Fibroids without Surgery!

Given my health, age, and functional status, what’s the most likely outcome?

Once your surgeon has walked you through various scenarios, ask, “Do I really need to have this surgery, in your opinion?” and “What outcomes do you think are most likely for me?” Finlayson advises. Research suggests that older adults who are frail, have cognitive impairment, or other serious conditions such as heart disease have worse experiences with major surgery. Also, seniors in their 80s and 90s are at higher risk of things going wrong.

“It’s important to have family or friends in the room for these conversations with high-risk patients,” Finlayson shares. Many seniors have

Continue Reading

The Latest In Healthy Aging

weight loss

The Secret to Weight Loss in Your 30s, 40s and 50s

Are you thinking about walking to achieve your weight loss goals but don’t know where to start? Here’s what you need to know to stroll your way to weight loss, at any age. According to researchers from the University of read more about The Secret to Weight Loss in Your 30s, 40s and 50s
home remedies for acne scars

10 Natural At-Home Remedies To Clear Acne Scars

Acne. Some of our worst enemies and the one thing that everyone will encounter at least once in their lifetime. It’s inevitable, so finding the right cure for it is always at the top of everyone’s list. Running to the read more about 10 Natural At-Home Remedies To Clear Acne Scars
how to look younger

5 Lifestyle Changes That Will Make You Look Younger

While genetics may play a role in how we age, one thing is clear: a few small tweaks can have a major impact on how you look and feel. Here’s how to turn back the clock with five simple changes read more about 5 Lifestyle Changes That Will Make You Look Younger
stress management

Stress Management: The Real Fountain of Youth?

At any age, stress is a part of life. Young and old alike have to face difficult situations and overcome obstacles. While young adults struggle to establish a career, achieve financial security, or juggle work and family demands, older people read more about Stress Management: The Real Fountain of Youth?
man weave

Is it Time to Normalize Man Weaves?

It's true, you are getting older, and the men around you are getting older. It's okay; we're all getting older. With that honesty being at the center of life, however, we have to be sensitive that people's acceptance of age read more about Is it Time to Normalize Man Weaves?
going gray

The Confidence In Going Gray & Trying New Things

What comes naturally is something desired. For many, the day when your pepper begins to appear more like it has salt in it is the day they fear the most. It's interesting to note that today's youth are willing to read more about The Confidence In Going Gray & Trying New Things

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • John David Washington: “They Tried To Use My Name Against Me”John David Washington: "They Tried To Use My Name Against Me"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.