There are some cases when all efforts to make a pre-operative diagnosis are either unsuccessful or prevented by the urgency of the situation. Here is an example of the first type of situation. A person has had persistent abdominal pain and weight loss, for which no cause can be found on clinical examination and extensive tests. Cancer is suspected but cannot be proved. An exploratory operation may be recommended. In this case the person must either be prepared to have two major abdominal operations within a few days of each other, or agree to the surgeon immediately performing whatever operation seems best once the diagnosis is made. Fortunately, it is rarely so difficult to make a diagnosis. If such an exploratory operation is recommended to you I suggest that you ask for a second opinion before agreeing to it. Another doctor may be able to think of a way of making the diagnosis without operating.
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