26/08/2026
I am a bone cancer surgeon and Iโm not scared to admit:
1. I sometimes study your scans again, even after Iโve made the surgical plan.
Because with bone cancer, a few millimetres can change what I can safely preserve โ and I never want to stop at โgood enough.โ
2. I think about where your scar will sit.
Because the surgery may last a few hours, but youโll live with that scar for years.
3. I think carefully about what I can preserve.
A nerve. A blood vessel. A muscle. A joint. Because preserving one small structure can make a huge difference to your independence.
4. I think about the questions you didnโt ask.
Because sometimes patients are so overwhelmed by a cancer diagnosis that they donโt even know what they should be asking.
5. Before I operate, I ask myself one question:
โIf this were someone I loved, would I be comfortable with this plan?โ
Because you may only see what happens in the operating room.
You donโt see the hours of thought, planning and care that happen before I ever make the first incision
