Our patients often ask a critical question: “Is there a guarantee of surgery? Can you guarantee that? "

I am trying to explain to the patients who ask this question that there cannot be guarantee in medicine, and I recommend that they should consult another surgeon if they insist, because the patient who asks for the guarantee is not a realistic patient; his expectation is unrealistic. It is a "guarantee" that he will be dissatisfied at the end of the surgery.

Sometimes, the patient, whom I say nothing can be guaranteed in medicine, thinks he got me and immediately says: "You're guaranteed to get the surgical fee, right?"

I think, they wait for me to say "Man, you caught me out. I give up. Yes, these doctors are all stingy! " .. I'd better explain this "guarantee" issue in detail here and then later i may send link of this article to the patients who want guarantees from me in the future and let them read it. I will avoid telling each warranty seeker separately (I will discuss the money issue at the end of the article).

Let me explain item by item as in other articles, so that it is easy to read.

There is something called "complication" in the world we live in. What is the complication? They are undesirable conditions that arise as a result of surgeries. For example, infection, opening in sutures, bad suture scars(everyone has different body, some patients may have bad scars). Let's be realistic. You cannot "guarantee" the result of surgeries while there is an event called "complication" in this world. There is no both “white" and "black” at same time. Patients acknowledge that they know that there is a possibility of such complications in the consent form they signed before the surgery, they have been informed about this issue and they have undergone surgery taking these risks into consideration. Don't get me wrong, consent forms certainly do not relieve doctors of any responsibility, it is only a document that they inform patients about complications and that the patient accepts the possibility of these complications. If the patient develops a complication, it is the duty of the surgeon to intervene in this complication and make things right. The fact that patients want guarantees and even some surgeons give guarantees about surgeries does not change anything. So you're just fooling yourself by asking for a guarantee. No honest surgeon can guarantee, he tells you nothing can be guaranteed in medicine. In addition, it is absurd for patients to both sign the compulsory consent form and accept the risk of complications and request guarantees. Patient requesting warranty does not already accept the risk of complications, which is unrealistic. So don't fool yourself .. Complication risks are a fact of life.

On the other hand, asking the doctor for a guarantee, is like “passing the buck to the doctor” Every surgery takes responsibility. If a patient wants surgery, he should share responsibility with his surgeon. He should shoulder the burden of surgery together with his surgeon, so to speak. The surgeon has obligations to fulfill as well as the patient has obligations to assume. In the simplest way, the patient should not smoke in surgeries with long incisions and excessive sutures ( reduction mammaplasty, abdominoplasty). Smoking disrupts wound healing and suture conglutination. Smoking may cause the sutures not to heal or to open. Asking for a guarantee in surgeries is nothing more than ignoring the patient's responsibilities and assigning all responsibility to the doctor. Moreover, it is unrealistic to ignore all personal characteristics such as the patient's wound healing potential and genetic characteristics and to blame the entire responsibility on the doctor as if the patient's body is perfect and to ask for guaranteed results. Do not fool yourself.

Speaking of body, we should also remember that each patient has a different organ. In some, the sutures heal very well, while in others, wound healing is not very good. What does this mean: Everyone has different surgical scars. Some may have very thin, slight and others may have apparent. This is just a small example. Patients are not uniform, their metabolism is the not same or copy organisms; everyone has a different body. Therefore, there is no "guarantee" that the same result will be obtained in every patient!..

Years ago, an article I read in an anesthesia magazine taught me that surgery is a surprising profession. It is not possible to guarantee in a profession that is open to surprises. A patient is being taken to the O.R. for surgery. There is no problem with the blood tests. The vascular access is opened to give anesthesia and the patient immediately goes into shock!. Look, this is a very serious surprise! Is there any guarantee that it won't happen? No! But what's important here is the ability of the doctors in charge of the patient to intervene. Anesthesiologists immediately understand what happened and intervene in the patient. The reason the patient goes into shock as soon as the vascular access is opened is "latex allergy"!. Never would have guessed. An allergy that can be one in a billion. The vascular access that is opened to transfuse the patient, is opened with a plastic injection called angiocath. Since the patient is allergic to this plastic, he goes into shock as soon as angiocath is administered into vein. The patient is being saved by emergency intervention. According to the article, later surgery is performed without using latex at any other date (without plastic angiocath, plastic injector, plastic gloves). This may be a very extreme example, but it is an example that surgery is a surprising business. In a profession so full of surprises, you can't guarantee it; it's unrealistic. The important thing is your ability to intervene in surprises (complications) that may occur. During specialization training, we also learn about these possible problems and how to deal with them. The realistic thing is not to guarantee, but to tell the patient honestly about the possible complications and to explain that you can deal with them if any problems develop.

What patients need to do is not ask for guarantees. It is to learn the risks of the surgery in detail from your doctor and to learn what can be done if there is any problem, if the result of the surgery is not as desired. To follow your doctor's recommendations before and after the surgery. It is to go to the checkups on the recommended dates. If there is a problem in the future, it is to inform your doctor immediately.

As for the money, there's something the patients don't know. When a surgeon goes into surgery, he's liable to pay a lot of money immediately. I mean, he become indebted a lot of money instantly. Operating room rent, nurses', staff fees, materials and medical expenses, taxes are written directly on to the surgeon's tab as soon as the surgery starts. Therefore, starting the surgery requires an immediate payment. These payments are "warranty". Therefore, surgical fees are usually collected before surgery. This has nothing to do with being stingy. Finally, the surgical fee is not entirely up to your surgeon, you should know that. After expenses, salaries of employees, taxes, even expenses such as electricity, water, rent etc. of the clinic, what remains is for your surgeon. It not like flicking. That used to be...

Dr. Oytun İdil (Plastic and recontructive surgeon)
www.idilpenissurgery.com
oytunmd@gmail.com
+90 533 5690649
+90 505 2965569

Op. Dr. Oytun İdil

(Plastic aesthetic and reconstructive surgeon)

• Whatsapp: +90 533 569 0649
• E-mail: oytunmd@gmail.com
• Op. Dr. Oytun İdil: +90 533 569 0649
           +90 505 296 5569
• Asistant: +90 553 985 8087
• Office: +90 212 296 3656
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  Nişantaşı, şişli - Istanbul / Türkiye