I’ve been seeing one of my patients preoperatively to build up his severely atrophied quadriceps muscles before he undergoes surgery for a medial patellar ligament reconstruction next week. My patient had been through the wringer with a history of traumatic patellar dislocation that had caused him so much pain his muscles had completely shut down — his leg was so skinny it looked almost as if it had suffered from polio.
But this patient remained cheerful throughout our sessions to build him up without exacerbating his pain, and he did his homework to choose the right surgeon for the task ahead. Surgery is scheduled for next week … or is it? Through a series of worsening miscommunications with the surgeon’s support staff, his trust is gone and it looks like the surgery has been called off. After all, no one should be expected to go into an operation with unanswered questions and deepening doubts in his mind.
My patient’s experience has made me ponder the importance of clear communication, whether with our patients, their physicians, the insurance companies, or even each other. So much needless stress and anxiety can be diverted when we just take a few extra minutes to be sure the message is clear and that the patient feels safe and comfortable in our care. Every member of the team is an ambassador of compassionate medicine, from the health professional to the support staff level, and we mustn’t forget that procedures that may seem “old hat” to us are no doubt new and frightening to the uninitiated. The trust that patients place in us needs to be honored and respected, and this means answering every question with thoughtful consideration, every time.
Have any of your patients had a similar experience?
Anne Ahlman, MPT
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