You should always feel comfortable and confident when it comes to your surgeon. Doing a little bit of research beforehand is a great way to feel more at ease with your choices. First and foremost, you should always work with a board-certified surgeon. Do your research to see what it means to be board-certified. You will want to have an understanding of what a board-certified orthopedic surgeon is, so you can find the right one for your joint replacement. Here are ways to narrow it down even further.

Start with Your Doctor

Presumably, you trust your primary care physician, so naturally you should trust his or her recommendations. Speak with your doctor and see if you can get a list of possible surgeons. Make a list of questions to ask your doctor and surgeon. Ask your doctor about the different types of joint replacement surgeries these surgeons perform. Consider asking these questions before picking a surgeon: Ask why those names were given. What makes them stand out? What is their background? How does your doctor know them? Have other patients used any of those surgeons? How did they rate their experiences? The more you know, the better.

Friends and Family

Your doctor is a great source of information, but your friends and family can be useful too. Have any of them had similar surgeries? Do you have any friends or family members with medical backgrounds? Don’t be afraid to ask questions and speak with people about their experiences. It doesn’t have to be invasive, but any details you can garner should be useful. Always be sure that you get contact information. Medical offices and practices love when their patients give out referrals, so there shouldn’t be an issue. If you can, go ahead and schedule a consultation. Otherwise, even speaking with them over the phone could be helpful.

Insurance Coverage

Not all medical offices or hospitals accept all types of insurance. Some insurances may not cover certain joint replacement costs. To avoid having to pay out of pocket for your entire surgical bill, you should check with your insurance provider and surgeon’s billing department before having surgery. Always be certain that they accept your insurance. If they don’t, you should be aware that you may face substantial out-of-pocket costs. This may disappoint you if you really like a particular surgeon or need a particular surgery done. However, there should be a number of other surgeons that do take your insurance. Finding a capable, experienced surgeon within your network shouldn’t be particularly difficult.

Find Resources

While there are other resources you can use to research board-certified orthopedic surgeons, it’s best to start by narrowing your search. Speak with the medical experts at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists to see if they have valuable resources you can use to help you find the right orthopedic surgeon for your joint replacement.

There are many excellent joint replacement doctors in Jacksonville, FL. Being comfortable with your physician is always important. So, don’t hesitate to ask questions.