Just read this news piece about a woman who had complications after her bone graft surgery because she didn't really research her surgeon beforehand. Kinda freaked me out, honestly. I mean, you always hear "do your homework," but how much digging is enough? Like, reviews online can be sketchy sometimes, you know? Curious how others here went about picking their surgeon or if anyone else saw that story too.
I usually skip the online reviews tbh...too many fake ones out there. I went straight to my insurance provider's site and cross-checked surgeons covered by my plan. Anyone else rely mostly on insurance recommendations?
Insurance recommendations are a solid starting point, but personally, I wouldn't rely solely on them. I've found that consulting with my primary care doc or specialists I've trusted before often gives me a clearer picture...insurance lists can be pretty limited sometimes.
"insurance lists can be pretty limited sometimes."
Haha, tell me about it... Last year when I needed a second opinion on my knee surgery, insurance gave me exactly two options—one was retired and the other specialized in pediatrics. I'm 42. 🙄 Definitely learned to double-check with docs I trust first.
Reading through this thread is honestly making me more nervous about my upcoming surgery. I totally get the frustration with insurance lists—mine gave me a handful of names, but half of them had barely any online presence or reviews, and the other half had mixed feedback that left me even more confused. It's like, how do you even know what's legit anymore?
I did see that story the OP mentioned, and it really stuck with me. It feels like there's this huge pressure to "do your homework," but no one ever really explains what that means exactly. Like, is it enough to just read reviews online? Because I've seen some pretty sketchy stuff—either glowing five-star reviews that sound suspiciously similar or angry one-star rants that don't even seem related to the doctor's actual skills. Makes me wonder if there's some better way to vet surgeons beyond just scrolling through Yelp or Google.
One thing I've started doing is asking around my own circle—friends, family, coworkers—to see if anyone has personal experience or knows someone who does. But even then, it's tricky because everyone's experience can be so different. My coworker swears by her surgeon, but when I looked him up, there were a few negative reviews that made me second-guess everything again. It's like a never-ending cycle of doubt.
Also, the point about double-checking with trusted docs is solid advice. My primary care doctor gave me a referral, but even she admitted she didn't know much about the surgeon personally—just that he was "in-network" and had decent credentials. Not exactly reassuring.
Honestly, I'm starting to think there's no perfect way to do this. Maybe it's just about gathering as much info as possible and then trusting your gut? But that's easier said than done when you're anxious about something as serious as bone graft surgery...
