To wonder if surgeons discuss patients? Any medical people out there?

[Userlavender]

My sister recently had 2 surgeries done privately (cosmetic but reconstructive) and could have chose 1 surgeon to do them both but chose 2 different ones. Each one wanted to know - insisted actually - who was / is doing her other surgery. So these surgeons attend the same conferences / professional networks etc and now she is nervous about a follow up next week because she thinks they will have discussed her case amongst themselves. Do surgeons do this? I think yes they probably do but have told her they don't!

My parents were both hospital doctors and they absolutely did talk about patients, bollocks to that not happening (at least in the past).

They did not use names though. So it was all "a patient"

They also showed slides (this dates them) at home of surgeries more than once - I vividly remember a slide of a huge benign tumour removed from a female patient, who was shown in the next slide before and after. They were slides of the kind you'd see as illustrations in the BMJ. I have no idea what on earth they thought they were doing showing these slides to their early and pre teen children, except they were still labouring under the illusion that like a lot of doctor's children we'd grow up aspiring to go to medical school to follow in their footsteps.

People like to think doctors have super human levels of professionalism and discretion, and don't have time to gossip/ chat, but of course they do socially!

Doctors are just people, there's nothing special about them, they just took medicine at uni not law or engineering...

As I said, the one thing they didn't do is use names, so your sister is fine unless the surgery is unusual enough to identify her, I suppose.

Why is she worried about this? Does she think she was disloyal to change doctors or something? Otherwise it would seem not to matter particularly.

They are bound by confidentiality but would discuss cases if relevant - not in a gossipy 'she was hysterical' kind of way but more in possible complications/difficulties with surgery way.
Re the PP whose gall bladder was discussed - this is common as in difficult or complex cases scans will have been discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting to get consensus on the best way forward. It is good practice and about optimising outcomes rather than about patients personalities.

Considering they'll see hundreds of patients, it's highly unlikely they'd be discussing anyone in particular at an "Out of work" event like a course. If they need to speak professionally, they'd do it formally during work time with each having their files open so they can discuss the specific facts, etc. They'd never remember the important stuff.

I get similar comments in my job as an accountant. People seem to think I'd be able to remember a business's profits, turnover, balances, etc., but to be blunt, the moment the file closes and I move onto the next client, it's all forgotten. I can be working on several different clients each day, and it's hard enough to remember who I've been working on, let alone the detail!

Would they not be classed the same as doctors and be bound to confidentiality?
They are all Doctors who choose different specialities. All are bound by the same code of ethics and are held accountable by the Medical Council. They are all on a register and can be struck off if found guilty of gross misconduct or medical negligence.

As an ex dental nurse, we would discuss patients, but only in a medical way. sometimes if there was a difficult or rude patient then a heads up might be given, or if a patient had specific and unique challenges then these would be discussed but not personal stuff. Why would we? We had more interesting things to discuss then the details of the patients on our books.

I was having treatment but not surgery and was rather shocked to receive a letter from my HCP, not sure if a doctor, consultant, etc , where she told me she discussed my case with several other people at the hospital. I had no idea at all this was going to happen. She wrote it was all strictly confidential but I still felt a bit uneasy about it. I later had a word with myself and realised half the issue was the subject matter and the shame .

I've been asked twice. First was a consultation after a problematictotal bridge job surgery and I was seeing another surgeon for a second opinion. He said quite openly, 'who did this?' leaving me in no doubt that he was unimpressed to say the least. I did tell him.

Second time I was asked it was by someone in a different field and I couldn't see the need to share the informationand was deep in litigation so I politely said, 'do you mind if I don't say?'

I think the surgeons rather than the actual patients get discussed more often as some Dec have a reputation among their peers, good and bad. The patient would need to be of very great interest to be openly discussed.

They will discuss cases with other surgeons but that is for the patients benefit as they discuss approaches and give advice and learn from each other. Only those also bound by confidentiality will be told and it will be professional and not gossip. They honestly have more important things to do than gossip about patients.

Unfortunately some surgeons I know personally do discuss and compare notes about patients in social situations in a completely indiscreet, disrespectful and inappropriate manner.

Oh, and they certainly gossip about their colleagues, too

Interesting to hear this - some docs more ethical than others clearly! Agree with pp re surgeons are still human and @caperberries this does not surprise me at all. Are these plastic surgeons? Do they discuss the patient more than the case? Sis feels it will be like 'oh and do you know she went off to x to have this done too?' Type thing

Interesting to hear this - some docs more ethical than others clearly! Agree with pp re surgeons are still human and @caperberries this does not surprise me at all. Are these plastic surgeons? Do they discuss the patient more than the case? Sis feels it will be like 'oh and do you know she went off to x to have this done too?' Type thing

They are all human but only a very arrogant person would risk all their years of studying and training gossiping about patients in an unprofessional and personal way that doesn't benefit their treatment/care. Agree that there is a certain level of knowledge about medical professionals skills or lack of. It is a very small circuit and everyone knows everyone. The conferences are usually part of continuous training/keeping up to date with new techniques. There is always a certain amount of gossip about colleagues but rarely in a bitchy/negative way. Who's working where/procedures carried out /publications. I would reassure your sister that she need not worry.

I will say what I heard certainly wasn't all in the patients' interest - there was arrogance and contempt mixed with professional interest and detached sympathy.

No names.

But being brought up by my parents as a should be potential future doctor who didn't chose that path (it's a stunningly incestuous career path) I am sturprised by the mythology propogated on MN and elsewhere. There is nothing special about doctors. They are as professional as your lawyer or accountant, no more, no less.

Of course they'll discuss patients.

They're doctors, not fucking immortals.

This is what my sister said she said they were so gleefully smug pushing her to know who other surgeons were. WHy the fuck do they feel they can ask that when it isn't necessary.

"Sis feels it will be like 'oh and do you know she went off to x to have this done too?' Type thing"

I would really struggle to believe that they give a shit about that sort of thing.

They may well gossip but it won't be about the fact that somebody wants to have a procedure. It's their job, why would they be contemptuous that business is coming their way.

I'm not a surgeon, but in the health field.

I'm always very keen to know WHO has done previous treatment. Mostly because I've worked in the area for about 15 years and know most of my colleagues very well. It means I'll know the kind of advice and treatment has previously been done. Or it'll increase my knowledge about what is being done in other clinics. It's fact finding, nothing more.

If I'm discussing specific details with a colleague I will have gained either verbal or written permission first. Confidentiality is taken very seriously, even on Saturday night in the pub.

It is far more likely they wanted to know who was doing the other work, so they could get an idea of what to be prepared for.

Circles are small. Reputations and competencies are very well known. One surgeon will tend to know if another (especially in the same specialty) is any good.

It's like picking up a project and wanting to know who's been managing it up to this point, so you can be prepared to know if it's going to be easy to carry on with or not.