How to seek and compare a second opinion from a doctor

Medical literature often shows that there is no clear winner among the various approaches to managing pain and conditions. Explore your options by speaking to one or more doctors or other practitioners from different disciplines. Most experts agree that if the second opinion confirms the original diagnosis, there's no reason to seek more viewpoints. But what do you do when two doctors disagree on what's best for you?

First, compare success rates for the different treatment approaches that have been recommended, if they're available.

• Keep in mind that in the case of surgery and other interventions, these figures represent averages for all procedures performed.
• A surgeon who specializes in treating a given condition will probably have a better-than-average success rate.

• Compare the potential side effects and other related factors, such as recovery time from surgery, that accompany each treatment.
• You may decide that you can't tolerate the risks and requirements of a particular approach.

Finally, seek a third opinion, preferably from an impartial doctor.

• This may be particularly helpful if doctors from different medical fields have recommended their own unique treatment approaches as the best choice.
• A urologist may recommend surgery for prostate cancer, while a radiation oncologist is likely to suggest radiation therapy.
• Some large medical centres now have a medical oncologist on staff who oversees all cancer care and can help patients choose among different treatments.