Can I ask for a specific surgery?

Good morning!
I am wondering about something. I have met with one surgeon who says I am a candidate for laproscopic vagional and am awaiting another appointment with a second surgeon.

My question is this, after discussion with a friend who is a doctor, he has suggested that a total vagional would be a better option if that is possible for me. He has known me for almost 20 years and knows all of my other health concerns.

I will be waiting a long time to see the second surgeon but she comes very highly recommended and I have been put on the cancellation list (my appointment is June 21 and who knows how long I will have to wait for the surgery).

I have already decided on the hysterectomy option, is it unprofessional to ask her when I meet her to do that surgery (I know it is an option for her skills)? Certainly if she thinks there is an issue with it for me I will go with her professional opinion but I would like some advise for going into meeting her

Thanks ladies for all of your help and tips!

Lisa

You can ask for a specific surgery type, but a surgeon has to perform the surgery that s/he feels is best for your situation based on his/her training, knowledge, and skill combined with your physical exam, diagnosis, and health history.

Has your friend done a physical exam of you? Is he an OB/GYN or a gynecological surgeon? Can he perform a laparoscopic hysterectomy? Has he ever done a vaginal hysterectomy? Has he examined all of your medical records? If you answer no to any of those questions, then you have to consider that his advice in your case is personal advice and not professional advice because he is missing some pieces of the picture.

There is nothing wrong with talking to friends in the medical field about your situation. I did myself before my hysterectomy. But we have to remember that unless we sit down with them in a patient-professional manner and give them access to all the data and unless they practice in the field in which we need advice, we can't put their advice above the physicians who have done our exams, who will be physically doing the surgery, and who practices in the field in which we need help.

Definitely share with the surgeon you choose that you are interested in a particular surgery type. The surgeon can then share why it may or may not be the best choice for you. The AGOC does recommend a vaginal hysterectomy whenever possible, but there may be reasons why your surgeon feels the lap assisted vaginal hysterectomy would be better for you. In my case, it was specifically so my doctor could also remove my appendix and clean up any endometriosis. A total vaginal hysterectomy would not have given him the room he needed to do all those things well.

Thank you Weiser!
That was my plan, to go in with the thoughts of a vaginal and if when we reviewed my information, go with what she suggested. After all, she is the expert
I just wanted to know if going in with a preferred surgery in mind is taboo or something that people generally do
This whole thing is SO confusing and waiting is pure torture
Lisa