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January 28, 2010

Surgeons are shitty doctors

A doctor is concerned with maintaining human health through the knowledge of science. Neither are scientists, but a doctor should be able to take in a patient's symptoms, history -- all of them -- use science and come up with a plan to lesson the less desirable symptoms. In my expreience, and I only speak of my experience, a surgery post-op is more aptly-named a cover your ass visit. Let's make sure I didn't fuck the patient up more then when he/her came into the E.R.

I don't see why a surgeon should be the one to evaluate the health of a patient after surgery. It baffles me. Surgeons are skilled technicians and engineers. They are technicians in that they perform complicated, dextrous manuevers that the average person just cannot. They are engineers because they use science to perform their task. But, why is a surgeon the most qualified person to evaluate the current health of a patient?

The problem I see is this: A surgeon's solution is surgery, not medicine or anyting else. Let's alter the patient's body to improve his/her health. So, if that is their only tool, what good are they after no surgical solution will help the patient? My experience is this: My five lower vertebrae were compacted and spinal canal collapsed, and after various surgeries they are now fused, and my spine will not collapse, which is a good thing. Many thanks to my surgeon. But, why should the guy who did these procedures determine my continuing care? I told him everything that was going on today: My leg is numb, my foot goes into intense pain every night, my other foot contracts eratically, I can't sleep because the shooting pain in my hip, I can barely get myself out of bed in the morning, and his response was that was "I was doing well".

If I smell shit in my back yard I'm calling the county inspector. I'm not calling the guy who put in the septic tank. I think doctors should drop their claim to scientific knowledge at their bachelors degrees and admit to being engineers. I'm one, it's not that bad.

Posted by jeff at January 28, 2010 06:33 PM