What to expect at your consultation
Prior to your appointment please make sure that both a CD with images and reports of any ultrasounds, CT scans or MRIs have arrived. Our schedulers will help arrange for this when you make your initial appointment. Please also make sure pathology slides and your medical records from your referring doctor have arrived and been reviewed. If your imaging has not arrived in our system, please hand carry the images on a CD to your appointment.
Your endocrine surgery consultation will take place on the second floor of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center located on the UC Davis Medical Center campus in Sacramento, California. Parking is available behind the Cancer Center and is $2 with validation.
During your consultation you will meet many members of our team. First you will check in with the front desk staff on the 2nd floor of the Cancer Center. We ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time and have your Patient Medical History Questionnaire, Notice of Privacy Practices form and Personal Medication Record filled out. You will be escorted to your room by one of our experienced medical assistants who will review your medications, allergies and take your vital signs.
UC Davis has a top ranked medical school and surgical residency program. As part of your consultation, you may meet one of our surgical residents or medical students. You will then meet one of our attending surgeons who specialize in thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreas surgery. Your consultation will last approximately 60 minutes. Together we will review your health history, including your family history, and any symptoms you have been experiencing.
During your consultation, your surgeon may feel an ultrasound or indirect laryngoscopy (a test to look at your vocal cords) would be helpful in making the best decision about your treatment plan. For your convenience, often these tests are integrated into your consultation appointment.
You and your surgeon will fully discuss your condition, and we encourage you to ask any questions Following your discussion with your surgeon and taking the time to answer your questions, together we will formulate a plan of action. This may involve further diagnostic tests, an additional appointment, or a decision to proceed with surgery. Our oncology nurses and discharge team will coordinate your next steps. If surgery is necessary, then a preoperative evaluation may be performed at the conclusion of your appointment or at another appointment. This usually involves a blood draw and an EKG.