Setting Standards

One of my relatively young female patients (early 50s) needed to have a hip replacement and the plan was to have the anterior approach rather than the side approach. With the more advanced anterior approach, muscles are pushed aside rather than cut across which produces a rapid healing period requiring less physical therapy. The day before the surgery date, the doctors office called his patient and said that the table that is required for the anterior approach is broken and that the hip replacement would be using the side approach.

My patient's husband said, "If this was Dr. Benjamin, he would cancel the surgery until the table was fixed because he would want to do the right thing."  My patient called her surgeon back and cancelled the surgery until the table was fixed.

I am so honored by my patient's comments. I always try to do the best for my patients and I am thrilled when they recognize that fact.