The Importance of Seeking a Second Medical Opinion

I remember many cases of patients coming to see me from far and wide, from Queens or from Goiania, from Staten Island or from Brussels because they had particular medical concerns. They could not make decisions on what best to do faced with incomprehensible diagnosis and with costly and uncertain treatment options. The Internet is a huge source of clinical information but understanding and managing all the information we read on the web is not an easy task. It is not even easy for us doctors to interpret the avalanche of information that assails us day and night. We have to meticulously research the data to ensure that it is accurate and reflects studies that are unbiased or not sponsored by a particular drug company for their own marketing gain. This sometimes means reading between the lines or undertaking further research and sometimes even relying on your own personal and tried and tested experience.

So we can imagine what it must be like for the patient! No doubt, it is a good idea to seek a second opinion when the diagnosis is a complicated one. And especially if there is surgery involved. This should not offend the surgeon or doctor involved at all. If it does then that is their problem not yours. It is about your health not theirs. Don't feel embarrassed to ask for your medical file to obtain a second opinion from another doctor. There is no problem with this. On the contrary, you will feel relieved and reassured to know that the doctors are all in agreement with the diagnosis and treatment options.

I saw a patient once who came to see me with his medical file bulging with notes and test results from exams done in Rio and Sao Paulo. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had metastisized, meaning it had already started to spread over his body. His urologist in Rio had referred him to Sao Paulo where he had been taking injections of female hormones to combat the spread of the cancer. He came to see me in New York where I reviewed his bone scan. I saw that it showed no signs of cancer at all. It was a simple case of osteoporosis. The patient stopped taking the hormones and was so relieved and thanked me wholeheartedly. Even today I still remember with great affection seeing his face light up when I told him he could return home and celebrate his "cure".