A second opinion is a review of the records you already have by a physician who has not been involved in your care. No travel is required for the review itself, and no new examination takes place unless you later choose to travel.
When it tends to help
- A treatment has been recommended and you want to know whether alternatives exist.
- Two specialists have already given you different advice.
- You have been told a procedure is not possible where you live.
- The recommended treatment is available, but only after a long wait.
When it tends not to help
- Treatment has already started and is working. Changing course mid-treatment carries its own risk.
- Your records are incomplete. A reviewer working from partial imaging or a missing pathology report can only give a partial answer.
- You are looking for certainty about the outcome. No physician can provide that, in any country.
What a second opinion is not
It is not a guarantee, and it does not override your treating physician. It is a second reading of the same evidence, by someone with different experience.
How long does a written second opinion take?
Typically three to seven working days from the point the hospital has a complete record set. Incomplete records are the usual cause of delay.
Will I be charged if the hospital declines my case?
Our coordination fee is not charged when a hospital declines to review the case. Any fee already paid for translation is not refundable, because that work has been done.