Second opinion - Part 2

Today I will discuss more about second opinion, as this is a hot topic.

As a doctor and specialist, I strongly believe all patients should have seek a second opinion, or even more, if you are dealing with a serious illness. The reasons are :

1. You need to know if you are having the best option. Some treatments are irreversible. For example, if you opt for a surgery, if its not done properly, it cannot be re-do again by another surgeon. So, it is very important to get it right the first time.

2. All doctors are good is some areas but not so good in other areas. The doctor who recommends you one mode of treatment may not be familiar with another mode, which could be better. In this case, your second opinion doctor should be good in the other area. For example, if you are not sure if you need radiotherapy or surgery, you should consult both surgeon and radiation oncologist to seek their respective opinions and then decide yourself.

3. A second opinion allows you to understand the illness better.

Having said that, you need to seek a respectable doctor for second opinion, and not ask some other doctors who are not expert in that area, or even non-doctors for second opinion.

You may ask, "Would my doctor be unhappy if I seek a second opinion". The answer is : "Generally they are fine with you seeking a second opinion". This is because the second opinion may concurs with their recommendations which reniforce to you the need to have that recommended treatment. We doctors always believe that ultimately, its the patient who have to make the decision and in order to do that, a second opinion is important.