Surgery is a daunting moment in patients' lives, with high-stakes decisions made difficult by jargon, uncertainty and a lack of public information that could help determine the best path.

Here are a few questions to ask when you face surgery:

Is the surgery necessary?

Some doctors are more aggressive about recommending surgery than their peers, and sometimes there is reasonable disagreement about the best approach. If you are not facing an emergency situation, consider seeking a second opinion from a doctor at a different medical facility. It's common practice, so don't worry about offending your doctor. (If they are offended, that may be a red flag.)

And be sure to ask both doctors questions to help you assess whether to pursue surgery: What are the consequences of not doing surgery? What alternatives could be explored first? What are the risks of surgery? What is the ideal outcome? Doing your own research can help, too.

Is your doctor the right one? It can be difficult to assess whether your doctor is the right expert for your condition. If you know someone in the medical community, they might have suggestions based on conversations with colleagues.

When you do speak to your doctor, ask about their experience. How many times have they done the procedure? What percentage of patients had a poor outcome?

You can check online reviews for your doctor, but they are often anonymous and may be unreliable.

Will your doctor really be the one doing the surgery?

Some surgeons regularly run multiple operating rooms at the same time. And even if they're not juggling other cases, some will delegate portions of the surgery to an assistant while they attend to other work, such as meeting patients in a clinic.

If this concerns you, ask your doctor whether they will be the one performing the entire surgery. Ask them what role their assistants will play and how they will be supervised. And ask whether your surgery will overlap at all with another case.

How do you get what you need after surgery?

Patients sometimes find it difficult to get the attention they need after surgery. Nurses often have overwhelming caseloads and may need to deal with something that's urgent before getting to you. Advocates suggest being respectful and appreciative to build a positive relationship with your care team. But you may need to be assertive at times. Sending a friend or relative to speak with the charge nurse could help. And be sure to ask what to do once you are discharged and whom to call if you have a problem.