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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a digestive disorders specialist called a gastroenterologist.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready and learn what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses and recent life changes. Also include your diet and exercise habits, including whether your job involves any physical labor.
- Make a list of your key medical information, including other conditions you're being treated for and the names of the medications that you're taking. Include on your list every prescription and over-the-counter drug you use, as well as any vitamins and supplements.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out.
For inguinal hernias, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Do I need treatment?
- If you recommend a watch-and-wait approach, how will you monitor my condition?
- If you recommend surgery now, what type or procedure is right for me?
- What should I expect from my recovery from surgery?
- What is the risk of complications from surgery?
- What is the risk of my symptoms recurring?
- Is there anything I can do to prevent a recurrence of this problem?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in-depth. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms stayed the same or gotten worse?
- Do you have pain in your abdomen or groin? Does anything make the pain feel worse or better?
- Do you notice a bulge in your groin when you stand up, cough, strain or lift heavy objects?
- Have you been diagnosed or treated for any other medical conditions? When?
- What physical activity do you perform on your job?
- What other physical activities do you regularly engage in?
- Do you have a history of constipation?
- Have you had a previous inguinal hernia?
- Have any of your close relatives had an inguinal hernia?
- Do you or did you smoke? If so, how much?
What you can do in the meantime
While you're waiting for your appointment, get emergency medical care if you develop nausea, vomiting, or a fever or if your hernia bulge turns red, purple or dark.
- Brooks DC. Classification and development of groin hernias. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Inguinal hernia. National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/inguinalhernia/index.htm. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Brooks DC. Treatment of groin hernias. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Inguinal hernia. Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec21/ch238/ch238j.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Patient information for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). http://www.sages.org/publication/id/PI06/. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Ramsook C, et al. Overview of inguinal hernia in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
