If you’ve been told or suspect that you’re going to need an operation on your shoulder, you’re going to want to find someone you trust to perform the procedure. But when it comes to your health and your shoulder surgery, how do you know what to look for in a shoulder surgeon? Odds are you’ve never been through shoulder surgery in the past, so you probably can’t rely on previous experience to help you find the right surgeon.
With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to put together a short guide of some of the qualities and skills you’ll want to look for in a shoulder surgeon if you need to undergo a procedure in your future. Below, we share what we believe patients should look for in a shoulder surgeon.
Qualities To Look For In A Shoulder Surgeon
If your prospective shoulder surgeon can check off all or most of the boxes below, odds are they are a good fit for your procedure.
- They Listen – It’s imperative that you find a surgeon who really takes the time to listen to the patient so that they understand their goals and their hopes for the procedure. Recommendations may vary if you hope to return to certain activities or you’re simply looking to alleviate discomfort, so a good surgeon will always listen to understand what the patient hopes to achieve with treatment. If your surgeon doesn’t take the time to get to understand your goals, they may not be a good fit.
- Experienced – You also want to find a surgeon who has a wealth of experience performing the operation that you need. You want to trust that your surgeon has successfully carried out the specific procedure many times before, and that they know how to account for and minimize any risks associated with the procedure. Ask your surgeon about their experience with this particular procedure.
- Trusted But Innovative Technology – You want to find a surgeon who uses proven but innovative techniques to perform the operation. Procedures are constantly being improved, and you want to trust your surgery to a doctor who takes time to incorporate these improved techniques into their practice. Dr. Holloway is always researching and working to continue his education of best practices to provide the best care for his patients, and you should find a surgeon who strives to do the same.
- Breadth Of Shoulder Knowledge – You also want to trust your surgery to a specialist with a wide breadth of knowledge in all things shoulder. Obviously you want them to be skilled in your specific procedure, but surgeons who perform multiple types of shoulder surgeries have a complex understanding of the interconnectedness of the entire shoulder joint. Dr. Holloway performs a number of shoulder procedures, like total shoulder replacement, rotator cuff repair, frozen shoulder release and instability repair. This comprehensive knowledge of the shoulder only serves to help his patients.
- Realistic Expectations – Your shoulder surgeon should be realistic when talking about your repair and rehabilitation. It’s going to take time and work on your end in order to experience the best results, so a good surgeon will have these frank discussions and help you set some realistic expectations. One of the most common complaints from patients in regards to their shoulder surgery is that they came in with mismatched expectations or they didn’t understand how difficult recovery could be at times. A good surgeon will help you appropriately manage your expectations so that you can meet these challenges head on instead of being tripped up by them.
Dr. Holloway and his team know that you have a choice when it comes to who performs your shoulder surgery, and they’ll do everything in their power to prove that they are the best option for you. So set up an appointment, pepper us with questions and see if we can check off all the boxes on this list. We’re confident that after this appointment, you’ll feel great about trusting your shoulder surgery to our team. For more information or to set up an evaluation, give our team a call today at (865) 410-7887.
