Page 122 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2018

get informed
story by
Susan Ruddiman
GETTING A
SECOND OPINION
W hen a person has doubts about medical treatment, sometimes getting a second
professional opinion makes sense. A study
conducted by the Mayo Clinic found that as many as 88 percent of patients looking for a second opinion
will leave the physician’s office with a new or refined diagnosis. About 21 percent of the people will leave with a distinctly different diagnosis.
“It was hard to go seek a second opinion. I kept asking myself ‘why should I go see someone else?’ It took me a long time to actually do it,” said Clair Etzold of Ocean Springs.
She had initially consulted an orthopedic surgeon about the discomfort in her lower back. She couldn’t stand for long periods of time and she felt the pain through her hips and legs. She underwent the standard x-rays and MRI, and then had shots and started physical therapy. But the doctor told her she would need to undergo back surgery.
“A friend suggested I see a neurosurgeon,” Etzold said. After two consultations with this specialist, he told her
surgery would not be necessary because her issue was muscular and not nerve related.
“I’m really glad I went for the second opinion,” she said. Etzold is continuing a regimen of exercise and staying on a healthy eating plan as her back improves.
Dr. Jim Fox with Doctor’s Nutrition in Gulfport recommended a person seek a second opinion if it’s serious enough to require surgery or chemotherapy.
“Sometimes I think the patient is not given all the options to make a valid decision,” he said. “The more informed a patient is, the better decision he or she can make.”
In addition, Fox said he has seen patients go into denial when faced with a serious diagnosis such as cancer.
“A second opinion can confirm it to the point that they understand what’s going on. There is no need to ignore a health issue until it becomes a crisis situation,” he said.
According to WebMD, a person should go for a second opinion when faced with a risky treatment, the diagnosis is not clear or the treatment involves a trial for a new drug or experimental instruments or devices.
122 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2018
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