Some Denver spine surgeons have prolonged wait times for appointments and the patients only seemingly see their physician assistants or nurse practitioners. With a plethora of spine surgeons to choose from, there is little reason to have to wait for an appointment. Additionally, spine surgery can be very dangerous and requires tremendous thought before pursuing. If you are considering surgery, your spine surgeon should be willing to personally meet with you to explain the surgery and then personally see you after surgery. Physician extenders are very helpful, however they are not meant to replace your surgeon.
Ask your friends. If you know someone who has undergone spine surgery in Denver, they were happy with their results, this is the best advertisement for a surgeon.
The confidence/ arrogance factor. Surgeons by nature went into the field because they are confident and have some arrogance. I surely would not want someone trepidatiously operating on my spine. However, your surgeon should also have empathy and be relatable to your condition. Surgical training takes a long time for a reason, and everything cannot be condensed into layman’s terms, but any Denver spine surgeon should at least try to explain things in a way you can understand and listen to your concerns.
Is your Denver spine surgeon in network with your insurance? The best way to avoid costly and surprise billing is to seek in-network providers. If you have a common insurance carrier and your Denver spine surgeon is not in-network, you should be skeptical and possibly explore why. On the other hand, some smaller insurance networks tend not to be in-network with many surgeons, so these patients may not have much choice.