How to Choose the Right General Surgeon for Your Surgery

Start With Board Certification

Board certification is the single most useful credential to verify. A surgeon certified by the American Board of Surgery has completed at least five years of accredited residency training after medical school, performed a required volume of operations, been vouched for by their training program, and passed both a written and an oral examination. Certification is voluntary, which is exactly why it matters: not every surgeon in practice has it.

You can check any surgeon's status in seconds on the American Board of Surgery website. For cancer surgery, look for a second, subspecialty certification in Complex General Surgical Oncology, which requires additional fellowship training after general surgery and is held by a much smaller group of surgeons.

The letters FACS after a surgeon's name indicate Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons, a separate credential that involves a review of the surgeon's case log, references from colleagues, and an ethics commitment. It is a meaningful additional signal, though board certification remains the foundation.

Look for Experience With Your Operation, Not Just Surgery in General

General surgery is a broad specialty. A surgeon may be excellent at hernia repair and rarely operate on the liver, or the reverse. What you want is a surgeon who performs your operation regularly.

Ask directly: “How often do you perform this operation?” and “What approaches do you use?” For common operations such as hernia repair and gallbladder removal, a surgeon comfortable with open, laparoscopic, and robotic techniques can match the approach to your anatomy rather than to the one method they know. For cancer operations, fellowship training in surgical oncology and experience with the specific organ, whether liver, pancreas, colon, or breast, are the credentials that count.

Fellowship Training: What It Adds

Residency makes a general surgeon. A fellowship is one to two additional years of focused training in a subspecialty, undertaken by surgeons who want to concentrate on a particular field. For complex abdominal operations, cancer surgery, and reoperations, a fellowship-trained surgeon has spent those extra years managing exactly the difficult situations that occasionally arise in any operation.

Dr. Murtaza Shakir, for example, completed a two-year Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center after General Surgery residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and holds board certification in both General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology. That training is relevant not only to cancer patients but to anyone whose operation may be more complex than average.

Where the Operation Will Be Performed

Surgeons operate at hospitals and surgical centers where they hold privileges. Ask where your operation would take place and why. Consider:

• Whether the facility is accredited and equipped for your procedure, including robotic systems if a robotic approach is planned
• Whether it is an outpatient surgery center (appropriate for most hernia and gallbladder operations) or a hospital with intensive care (appropriate for major cancer surgery)
• Distance from home, which matters for pre-operative visits, the surgery itself, and follow-up
• Whether the facility is in your insurance network

A surgeon with privileges at more than one facility can often choose the setting that fits your case and your coverage.

How the Surgeon Communicates

A consultation is also an interview. Pay attention to whether the surgeon:

• Explains the diagnosis in language you understand
• Describes the options, including the option of not operating, and the reasons for the recommendation
• Discusses risks honestly rather than dismissing them
• Answers your questions without hurry
• Tells you what recovery will realistically involve, including time off work and lifting limits
• Makes clear how to reach the office with questions after surgery

You will depend on this person during the most vulnerable stretch of your recovery. Choose someone you can talk to.

Questions to Ask at Your Consultation

Bring these to your first visit:

1. Are you board certified, and in what?
2. How many of these operations do you perform, and with which techniques?
3. Why are you recommending this approach for me?
4. What are the risks specific to my situation?
5. What would happen if I waited or chose not to have surgery?
6. Where will the surgery be performed, and is it in my network?
7. What will recovery involve, and when can I work, drive, and lift?
8. Who do I call with a problem after hours?
9. Will you be the one performing the operation?

A good surgeon welcomes these questions. Our article on questions to ask your hernia surgeon goes deeper for that specific operation.

Second Opinions Are Normal

Seeking a second opinion before a major operation is common and reasonable, and surgeons expect it. It is particularly worthwhile when the diagnosis is cancer, when a large or complex operation is proposed, when a previous operation has failed, or when you simply do not feel confident in the plan. A second surgeon may confirm the recommendation, which is reassuring, or offer a different approach worth considering. Bring your imaging, pathology, and any operative reports so the visit is productive.

Practical Considerations: Insurance, Timing, and Location

Confirm that both the surgeon and the facility are in your insurance network, and ask the office to verify benefits before scheduling. Understand the timeline: an elective hernia repair can usually be scheduled at your convenience, while a cancer diagnosis or an acutely inflamed gallbladder calls for prompt scheduling. Finally, weigh location realistically. Surgery involves several visits, and an office close to home in Katy or Sugar Land makes the process considerably easier for patients in Fort Bend County and West Houston than repeated trips into central Houston.

Surgical Associates of Southern Texas offers consultations at two Fort Bend County offices, and Dr. Shakir performs surgery at hospitals and surgical centers on the west and southwest sides of Houston. You can read about his training and the conditions he treats before your visit.

Final Takeaway

The right surgeon is board certified, performs your operation regularly, explains things clearly, operates at a facility that fits your case and your coverage, and is reachable when you need them. Verify the credentials, ask the questions above, and trust your judgment about communication. If you are facing surgery in Katy, Sugar Land, or the surrounding communities, you can request a consultation with Dr. Murtaza Shakir at either office.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. American College of Surgeons. Qualifications: What to look for in a surgeon (board certification and FACS). facs.org.
2. American Board of Surgery. About the ABS and verifying a surgeon's certification. absurgery.org.
3. American Board of Surgery. Frequently Asked Questions: Information for the Public. absurgery.org.
4. American College of Surgeons. Surgical Patient Education: Operations and Procedures. facs.org.