Health is one of your top priorities, right? You want the best medications and the best surgery you can have. Have you ever spoken with multiple physicians to make sure you are doing what’s best for you? Outside of your health care, for all the other ‘top priorities’ in your life, you spend tons of time speaking with experts and getting any opinion you can to make sure you are doing the right thing. For instance, to find the best schools for your children you spend hours researching, then you talk to some local teachers, and maybe even go talk to the principal. Or you might take a tour of the school. Yet, you almost never ask another physician for a second opinion when you are considering having surgery or changing medications. Maybe it’s time you put more into your health and talk to more than one physician. Get a Second Opinion!

A Second Opinion is as simple as it sounds, after you get the initial recommendation from your original provider you then find another physician to give a second opinion. You will again be re-evaluated by your second opinion physician; this is a safeguard to make sure nothing was missed in your primary evaluation. When evaluated by a physician that primarily does second opinions, you may have longer visits with more time to explain your situation, be evaluated, and get your questions answered. Record review is likely necessary because you have had testing at other facilities. Not all your records will be needed, just the records that are deemed necessary. Further testing might be ordered by your second physician. Then, recommendations from your second opinion physician will be given. These may be new recommendations which can lead to further discussions, or they may be consistent with your primary physician, which gives you reassurance that your care plan is right for you. Just having a discussion with a second opinion physician can solidify your current knowledge and reassure you. Moving forward you will have double the support for future problems.

A few examples of cases that may need Second Opinions:

Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain: There are a multitude of ways to treat Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain, none of them work for everyone, which is why you should seek as many opinions as you can. Before having surgery be sure and obtain several opinions on whether surgery is right for you, especially if you had surgery before with limited resolution of your symptoms. If medications are not controlling your pain look for a provider that specializes in lifestyle changes and holistic options such as at home pelvic floor therapy and low inflammatory diets. Second Opinions are vital to Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain patients!

Infertility: The infertility journey is a confusing one. Guidance, with a physician you trust, will give you peace of mind and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Fertility is very difficult to navigate as a patient both in your treatment plan and the logistics of the timing of your medications/imaging. Second Opinions can be used to verify your care plan or, more often, find a physician that can guide you through the complexities of infertility. Often, we find that having multiple physicians work with you during your fertility journey gives you the best odds of becoming pregnant. For instance, have a Reproductive Endocrinologist for your IVF and use a General OB Gyn as your Physician Advocate to help you navigate the complex fertility machine. The more physicians you have dedicated to your journey the better!

Perimenopause and Menopause: Using Hormone Replacement Therapy to treat hot flashes and menopausal symptoms is easy but, for many women, this is not enough to resolve all their symptoms. There are also other complications with menopause, such as insomnia and weight gain that cannot completely be resolved with Hormone Replacement Therapy. Getting a Second Opinion may find ways to give you further relief.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room; the fear of offending the primary physician by getting a second opinion. My personal experience as a physician is that this is not true. If my patient wants a second opinion, overall, I found it to be best for both parties. Many times, this only brought the patient back to me even more satisfied than before. Although my initial opinion was done to the best of my ability and well thought out; the most important opinion is the patients. I want my patient to feel comfortable with their care plan. If a second opinion gives my patient comfort, then I fully support it. I found patients had better results when they saw consistency in the care plan and when they found a physician they felt comfortable with. I’ve always been supportive of patients that get second opinions, and most physicians I know feel the same way.

A little trade secret: Your physician will likely never find out that you received a second opinion unless you tell them. Records requests from other physicians you see are commonplace.  Records will be sent, if verified and appropriate, to whomever you want without question.

Get a Second Opinion! In fact, get a third, fourth, fifth opinion if it’s what you need to feel comfortable with your care plan. Second Opinions really should be a popular opinion! Put as much effort into your health as you do everything else in your life.

If you need a Second Opinion, we are here for you! Second To None Health ‘s physicians specialize in Second Opinions. Our visits are via telemedicine, making it easier for you to schedule and get your opinion right away. Don’t stop at one opinion!