Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Questions to ask before booking an operation | CION Cancer Clinics
Before booking a cancer operation, ask what will be done and why this operation, what the alternatives are, how often this surgeon does it, who is in the hospital overnight, and what recovery and cost look like. Those six questions cover most of what goes wrong when families book in a hurry. This page turns them into a list you can read from your phone in the appointment, and tells you what a good answer sounds like. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What should you ask before booking a cancer operation?
- Which questions belong on the list?
- How do you get through the list in a short appointment?
- What do the words in the surgeon's answers mean?
- Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
- What the answers cannot tell you
- Common questions about what to ask before surgery
The short answer
What should you ask before booking a cancer operation?
Ask what operation is being proposed and why this one, what the alternatives are, how often this surgeon does it, who looks after you overnight, and what recovery and cost look like. Those six questions cover most of what goes wrong when families book in a hurry.
Why the questions matter more than the answers
A good surgeon answers every one of these without being asked. What the list does is show you, quickly, whether the person in front of you is that kind of surgeon. Specific, plain answers are a good sign. A change of subject, or a date offered before your reports have been read, is a sign to slow down.
Who should be in the room
The patient, and the family member who will be paying or making decisions. Two people remember more than one. If the patient does not speak the surgeon's language, say so at the start and ask for the plan to be explained in Telugu or with an interpreter. That is part of consent, not a favour.
Write the answers down while you are in the room, or ask if you can record the conversation on your phone.The list
Which questions belong on the list?
Four groups. You do not have to ask all of them in one sitting, but every group needs an answer before you book.
About the operation
Start here. If the answers to these are vague, nothing else on the list matters yet.
Ask
- What exactly will be removed, and why that much?
- Should chemotherapy or radiotherapy come first?
- What happens if I do not have this operation?
- Has a tumour board looked at my scans?
About the surgeon and team
The title tells you the training. These questions tell you the practice.
Ask
- How many of this exact operation do you do a year?
- Who will actually be operating?
- Who are the medical and radiation oncologists on my plan?
- Which anaesthetist, and have they worked with you before?
About the hospital
The surgeon is with you for a few hours. The building looks after you for days.
Ask
- Is there a doctor in the hospital overnight?
- Is the ICU staffed all night, every night?
- Is there a blood bank on site?
- Who do I call if something changes at two in the morning?
About afterwards and cost
The part most families forget to ask until they are in the ward.
Ask
- How long in hospital, and how long before normal life?
- Will I go home with a drain, a tube or a stoma?
- What is the indicative cost, and what does my scheme cover?
- Can follow-up happen closer to home?
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistUsing the list
How do you get through the list in a short appointment?
Write it on your phone before you go
Appointments are short and the room is stressful. A list you can read from means you do not have to remember anything. Put the questions that worry you most at the top.
Say at the start that you have questions
Tell the surgeon, before they begin, that you have a list and would like a few minutes for it. Most will make the time. If they will not, that is itself an answer about how the rest of your care will go.
Ask the hospital questions at the desk, not the surgeon
The overnight doctor, the ICU staffing and the blood bank are questions for the patient services desk or the ward, who deal with them every day. Ask there.
Ask for the plan in writing
A one-page summary of what will be done, who will do it, the indicative cost and what is included. You will need it anyway for Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or your insurer.
Words in the answers
What do the words in the surgeon's answers mean?
- Consent
- The form you sign agreeing to the operation. It should name the operation, the main risks and the alternatives. You can ask to read it in your own language.
- Margin
- The rim of normal tissue removed around the tumour. A clear margin means no cancer cells were found at the edge. It is only known from the pathology report.
- Neoadjuvant
- Treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy given before the operation to shrink the tumour. Adjuvant means the same treatment given after.
- Drain
- A thin tube left in the wound for a few days to let fluid out. Ask whether you will go home with one.
- Stoma
- An opening on the belly through which the bowel or bladder empties into a bag. Sometimes temporary, sometimes permanent. If there is any chance of one, ask before you book.
- Package
- A fixed indicative price for the operation and a set number of days in hospital. Ask what is not included, because that is where bills grow.
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Commonly believed
Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
"If we ask too many questions the doctor will not take the case."
Experienced cancer surgeons expect questions and would rather answer them before the operation than after it. A surgeon who is put off by a written list is telling you something.
"The consent form is just paperwork. Sign it and move on."
The consent form is the one place the operation, its risks and the alternatives are written down. Read it. If it names an operation you were not told about, or a risk that was never mentioned, stop and ask before signing.
"Cost is awkward to raise. We will sort it out later."
Later is the ward, at discharge, with a bill you did not expect. Ask for the indicative figure and the scheme paperwork before admission. Every hospital has a desk whose job is this conversation.
"There is no time. The operation has to be next week."
Sometimes that is true, and your surgeon will say why. More often a planned cancer operation can wait the few days it takes to gather reports, ask these questions and take a second opinion. Ask directly whether your case is one that cannot wait.
Being straight with you
What the answers cannot tell you
Good answers to every question on this page do not tell you that the operation will go well, and they do not tell you whether you should have it. Whether surgery is the right step depends on the type of cancer, its stage (how far it has spread), your general health and what the tumour board recommends. The list helps you judge the people, not the decision.
Who this list does not suit
If you are facing an emergency operation, for a blocked bowel or a bleed, there is no time for most of this. Ask the two questions that matter now: what will be done, and who will be watching afterwards. The rest can wait for the planned cancer surgery that often follows.
If the answers were not good
You are allowed to take your reports elsewhere. A date is not a contract. Ask for your records, slides and scans, and take a second opinion. Most planned cancer operations are not changed by the week this takes, and your oncologist will tell you if yours is different.
Nothing here replaces the advice of the team treating you. Use it to ask them better questions.Questions we are asked
Common questions about what to ask before surgery
What is the single most important question to ask?
"Who is in the hospital overnight if something goes wrong?" Most serious problems after surgery are not caused by the operation itself but by a complication noticed too late. A named doctor in the building and a staffed ICU are what catch it in time. Ask at the desk as well as of the surgeon.
Can I ask the surgeon how many of these they have done?
Yes, and you should. Surgeons who do an operation often are usually glad to be asked. Listen for a specific number for your exact operation, not a general figure for the hospital or years in practice.
Should I ask about the risks, or will that make me more afraid?
Ask. Knowing the common complications before the operation means you recognise them early if they happen, and it means the consent form holds no surprises. A surgeon who names the risks plainly is easier to trust than one who says there are none.
Is it acceptable to ask for the plan in writing?
Yes. Ask for a one-page summary of the operation, who will do it, the expected stay and the indicative cost with what is and is not included. You will need much of this for Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or an insurer anyway.
What if my parent does not want to hear the answers?
This is common. Ask your parent how much they want to know, and tell the surgeon. Many older patients prefer a son or daughter to hold the detail, and that is a reasonable choice as long as the patient still agrees to the operation themselves.
Should I ask about a second opinion in front of the surgeon?
You can, and a good surgeon will not mind. In cancer care second opinions are routine. Say that you would like to take the reports to another specialist before deciding, and ask whether anything about your case makes that unsafe.
How long should I have to think about it after the appointment?
Long enough to read the plan, talk to the family and, if you want, take a second opinion. For most planned cancer operations that is a few days to a week or two. Your surgeon will tell you if yours is a case where waiting matters.
Will CION answer these questions before I book?
Yes, and you can ask them on the helpline before you visit at all. Send us the reports you have. An oncologist will tell you which type of specialist should see you first and which questions on this page matter most for the operation discussed.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery explained
- NHS — Having an operation (surgery)
- Cancer.Net (ASCO) — What is cancer surgery?
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
How to choose a cancer surgeonWhat to look for before you get to the questions24-hour cover after surgeryThe overnight question, in detailGetting your records, slides and images releasedIf the answers were not good and you want a second opinionCost, insurance and schemes for cancer surgeryWhat to ask about money before admissionDeciding on cancer surgeryWhether an operation is the right step at all
Talk to us
Want to ask these questions before you visit anyone?
Send us the reports you have. An oncologist will read them with you and tell you which questions matter most for the operation being proposed. One helpline serves every CION centre.