What Black Women Should Know Before Undergoing Surgery

For Black women, any type of health care decision comes with a lot of weight behind it. If Black women don’t educate themselves before making these decisions, it could be the difference between a successful outcome and a fatal one.

The good news is that medical treatment, including surgery for Black women is slowly improving since access to information is now so widely available.

Here are three bits of information that Black women should know before undergoing surgery.

Things Have Improved, But Still Need Work

It’s no secret that Black people in this country have dealt with their fair share of inequality issues. Things have improved and many Black pioneers and advocates have made their way into the medical field.

Unfortunately, racism still rears its ugly head sometimes. There is no way to pinpoint whether a surgeon is racist and whether that will affect the care that they give to you.

Be sure to check out what other patients have said about your doctor. If you don’t feel comfortable with a certain doctor, you can always find another one that works better for you.

Communication With Your Doctor

There are a few questions you should ask your doctor before deciding to have surgery. One thing you should ask about is the steps involved and whether there are alternative ways of doing the surgery.

The doctor should be able to explain why one way is better than the others. Ask about all the possible complications that could arise from the surgery.

Ask about what happens if you don’t have the procedure and ask how many successful procedures the doctor has performed. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

Recovery Time

Before any surgery, you need to know all the details of the post-operative care. You may need to take time off from work or to arrange childcare. You need to know if you’ll be recovering in the hospital or at home.

You also need to know how long it will take you to recover so that you can have everything arranged for as long as you need. Post-operative care is extremely important so don’t brush it off.

Black women must be more vigilant than other women when it comes to surgery. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being highly informed on every aspect of their surgery is something that all women should do regardless of their race.

Knowing everything about the process is the best way to have a safe and successful procedure.

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Not sure how to talk to your doctor? Read more tips on that in this article: How Black Women Can Advocate for Themselves As Patients