Patients Want To Read Doctors' Notes, But Many Doctors Balk

[Hopeful]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/12/20/144027723/patients-want-to-read-doctors-notes-but-many-doctors-balk

Hopeful

['lizbeth]

Had I been reading my plastic surgeon's notes I would have switched years earlier.

When discussing the challenges and frustrations I was having with another doctor in the same hospital - he read the notes and became quite angry about what the surgeon had written.

Had I been able to see, in writing, the negative way the plastic surgeon viewed me - it would have helped me to make the difficult decision sooner to seek care from a different surgeon.

I sought a second opinion and was dragging my feet about making a decision. I was able to get the notes from the second opinion and was so shocked at what he had written that I decided to wait for a controversial procedure. My belief is if a surgeon is trying to prove a new procedure in a clinical trial - every effort will be made to make it a beautiful success.

The 2nd opinion put that I wanted my reconstruction to be the same size as the other breast which was about a 38FF. I spent about a half hour repeating over and over that was not what I wanted. I only wanted the reconstructed side to be a half cup to a cup size larger (to make up a hand sized area of tissue lost on the lower & interior portion). The breast looks beautiful, but unfortunately is a bit lopsided.

Then I wanted the other breast to be reduced and lifted to match.

Nothing hurts my self esteem more than to have plastic surgeons view me in a negative way.

However, having access to their notes helped me make an educated decision in my reconstruction. I'm ready to ask tough question when I search for a new surgeon and I will ask to see their notes.

[anna4969]

Lizbeth
Your post really hit home. I was all ready for my reconstruction when a new procedure was presented to me by one of my other doctors and I chose to persue it and cancel my reconstruction with my plastic surgeon. Wow was he mad at me. I left the appointment in tears and cried on my husbands shoulder all the way home. Long story short, I am going with a different plastic surgeon out of state that will do the new procedure with reconstruction. Anyway, I like you, got my plastic surgeons' notes thinking he was really going to complain about me and such given his ridiculous behavior and he even called my onc to yell at him about suggesting this new procedure but when I read his notes, he was sweet as pie in them and even said he welcomed me to seek followup care after the out of state surgery. I had to laugh!!! He was horrible to me in person(and I have my husband to vouch for that) and then turned around and acted like his rude appointment never happened. Go figure...maybe he realized what an egotistical jerk he was and reconsidered what kind of notes he wrote. I am sorry you experienced such a rotten deal with yours. You know...in my opinion, plastic surgeons all have an ego...and I think that is part of being a plastic surgeon. They are artists in a sense and they really have to think that their sculpting is the best or what would be their drive to do their best. I don't know...just a thought. Be well and Happy New Year!!