Is it okay to request operative summary / surgical notes?

JWmommy,
As a patient it's your right to have a copy of your medical records including office notes, operative notes, etc. Many facilities and offices will give you access through the patient portal of your electronic medical record once the notes have been signed. Your surgeon should not be concerned with you wanting your surgical notes which is part of you medical history and important for you to have!
Dr Stein

Asking for a copy of your operative summary or surgical notes is completely appropriate and well within your rights as a patient. Many people like to keep a complete record of their medical history, including labs, imaging, and surgical details, so that they can refer to them in the future if needed.
Surgeons and their teams are familiar with this type of request and usually do not assume that it means you are planning legal action. It is generally viewed as a normal and responsible step in managing your own health information.
When making the request, you can simply explain that you like to keep your medical records organized and would like a copy for your personal file. This clear communication helps avoid any misunderstanding.
I have also shared a detailed video where I explain what is usually included in operative summaries and how patients can use them as part of their long term health records.
— Güray Yesiladali, MD

Thank you for your inquiry! We would love to meet with you to discuss your goals. They are your medical records. You can request them at any time. Schedule a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to help you reach your goals.

You are absolutely entitled to have copies of your medical records, and it should not be an affront to your surgeon to ask for them. While it is true that a records request is sometimes a red flag that a patient is considering legal action, if you are still seeing your surgeon in follow up and have a good relationship, just let them know why you are interested in having the records. I don't think most surgeons would have any concern about this at all.

It is absolutely okay for patients to request the operative report after their procedure. The goal is to ensure that patients are well-informed and confident in their care, and the report provides valuable details about the procedure.  

You can certainly ask for your medical records and it should be no issue for your surgeon’s office to provide them.

I think it is a good idea for you to maintain medical records, including an op note and breast implant information if this is relevant. For almost any type of surgery I do it would be helpful for me to see a previous surgeons notes to better understand what has already been done. It should not be an affront to any surgeon to give you or even offer you the operative note. It would be a nice gesture for you to tell the office that you are just collecting them for your records. Everyone breathes a bit more easily!

Every patient has the rights to their medical records. You will likely have to sign a release form to obtain them. This includes records from a hospital or a doctors medical clinic or surgery center. Hospitals are required by law to maintain the records for 20 years. Different states may have different retention times for surgery clinics so requesting them as early as possible would be the best idea.

I have patients ask for a copy of operative notes from time to time and do not consider it an insult at all. I doubt your surgeon will care. Just explain that you want to keep it for your records

Thank you for your question. It is very thoughtful and insightful to keep track of your health record. Although such requests can make surgeons uncomfortable at first, most do not see it as an affront. As an example, many patients with breast implants do not have a record of what kind they have or how big. Ask away, as it is your right for this access. Good luck and kudos for keeping an accurate record!