Determining who are the best ankle and foot surgeons in London is an impossible question to answer, because the result depends on so many variables. Ultimately you want to know who is the best foot and ankle surgeon to get the best outcome for you.
Factors that matter in deciding who is the best surgeon to see
- Does the surgeon communicate well?
- Does the surgeon have a good bedside manner?
- Is the surgeon empathetic?
- Are they a good surgeon in terms of technical skills?
- Does the surgeon always recommend surgery?
- Does the surgeon make good clinical decisions?
- What do other patients think about the the surgeon?
- What do colleagues or other experts think about the surgeon?
- Has the surgeon experience with my particular issues?
- If there are complications does the surgeon take ownership?
- Is the surgeon recognised my health insurer?
- Is the surgeon close to where I live?
- Does the surgeon have availability to fit my diary?
- Does the surgeon offer remote consultations?
If you ask yourself these questions you will quickly realise that the answers to certain questions matter more to you than others. For example, you may not care at all if the surgeon isn’t a great communicator if he or she is the world’s expert on your particular rare condition. Of course you would prefer that their bedside manner was affable and lovely but like everything in life, having every box ticked is sometimes just not possible. In this situation, you may feel that you are prepared to sacrifice communication skills for technical ability. In other circumstances, like taking your mother to a surgeon for a second, third or forth opinion, you are looking for sage, independent, and experienced advice, communicated to you with authority and empathy. Some of the factors are out of your control, like health insurer, and you would need to check if your insurer recognises the particular surgeon or else costs can be very expensive.
Contact your insurer no matter whether it is AXA PPP, BUPA, Aviva, Vitality or WPA, they will be able to confirm whether they will cover the appointment costs for you. If you are a self payer then your surgeon will need to provide you with a full estimation of costs and their letter of engagement before seeing you.
Who is the best ankle and foot surgeon?
So to bring you back to the question you asked at the beginning, who is the best foot and ankle surgeon in London, then I don’t think its an easy question to answer. There are many excellent surgeons all of whom will no doubt, be considered the best ankle and foot surgeon by their own patients. Decide what matters to you and also read my article on ways to perfect your search.
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