>>And if he's a physician with any heart whatsoever, he will not mind your seeking a second opinion

I'll go one step further and say if he has any sense of professionality at all he won't mind you getting a second opinion. I think any really good doctor should not be insulted nor upset by a patient wanting a second opinion for anything serious, and in fact i think they should encourage it.

it shouldn't even have anything to do with questioning the doctors skill. if it is something important it is always good to have a second set of eyes looking at the problem to make sure all bases are covered, and a good confident doctor should welcome that. different doctors may also have different philosophies as to how to treat a specific problems also, so it is in your best interest to have you know all the options and choose what is most comfortable for you and the doctor should appreciate that. finally if the second opinion supports the first doctors finding, the first doc should realize that the confirmation gives the patient additional confidence in the course of treatment which makes for a better patient and a greater likelyhood of success.

imo beside manner is just as important as technical skill and knowledge (see my post in the general forum, i'm on this a lot today it seems). you have to trust your doctor, and you also have to trust your gut instinct as to whether you trust your doctor and feel comfortable with him.

good luck!

-- The world is what we make of it --
-- Dave
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