HealthyLife Articles

Tag: Medical Exams & Tests

When In Doubt, Get A Second Opinion

Medical Care

The very first thing you should do if a doctor suggests surgery is to get the opinion of a second doctor. Programs to encourage patients to pursue other options have been established all over the country in an effort to curtail unnecessary surgery.

Ask your physician or someone else you trust to recommend a non-surgeon or another surgeon, not affiliated with the same hospital as your physician, who will review your case and offer an opinion. Generally, you should not submit to surgery on the basis of one medical opinion alone.

The following table indicates the percentage of surgeries not recommended by the physician giving a second opinion.

Always check with your insurance company to see if (and how much of) the cost of a second opinion will be covered. Most policies include this feature. If you have Medicare, call 1.800.MEDICARE (633.4227) for information on second surgical opinions.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
When To Refuse Tests Or Surgery

Medical Care

It has been estimated that at least one-quarter of medical tests done each year are not needed. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly 60 percent of the study’s 2,800 pre-surgery tests were not warranted because there were no symptoms indicating that the tests should be done. Just 22 percent of the tests studied yielded results, and even these played a very small role in treatment. Yet medical tests make up about half of the typical patient’s hospital charges, according to David Sobel, M.D., the director of patient education at Kaiser Permanente.

Be frank with your doctor and ask for an explanation of why a particular test is being done. You’ll want to ask the following:

* Will the test results determine the treatment?

* Are there risks to the testing?

* Are there alternatives?

* Can outpatient testing be considered?

If your doctor recommends a hysterectomy, tonsillectomy, coronary bypass, or gallbladder removal, ask questions about alternatives. According to Eugene Rubin, M.D., of Stanford University, these procedures are among the surgeries performed excessively. Others that Dr. Rubin lists are:

* Dilatation and curettage (D and C).

* Cesarean sections.

* Pacemaker insertion.

* Joint surgery.

Find out about the following:

* Alternatives that are not as radical as surgery.

* If it would be risky to postpone the surgery.

* If the surgery is not effective, what treatment you should try next.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
What Do You Know About Organ Donation?

SELF-CARE CORNER

Every year, thousands of Americans die waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant because there just aren’t enough organ donors. What do you know about donating organs? The Organ Transplantation experts at New York-Presbyterian Hospital give some facts:

* Very few medical conditions disqualify you from donating organs and tissues. It may turn out that while certain organs are not suitable for transplant, other organs and tissues are fine.

* It is possible to donate to someone who is not a relative and to someone from another racial or ethnic group. But transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.

* There are no costs directly related to donation.

* Although it is important to join a donor registry and indicate that you are an organ donor on your driver’s license, it is equally important to make your family, friends, and doctors aware of your wishes.

* The organ transplant waiting list is blind to wealth and celebrity status. People receive organs based on the severity of the illness, time spent on the waiting list, and blood type.

* For more information, go to the United Network of Organ Sharing (www.unos.org).

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026