But getting a second opinion can help you feel more confident about your diagnosis and treatment.
Now you can access some of the top physicians around the world without leaving your home.
When Ella Jakobi was told she'd need back surgery, the busy fashionista worried about how it would impact her lifestyle.
"I thought I was going to be like an old woman, just shuffling around, you know," she said.
Her doctor said she would need at least four months to recover, not including possible mobility issues.
"And then I decided to go online like a lot of us do," Jakobi said. "You know, when you get a diagnosis, you run around and start Googling."
That's where she found SecondOpinions.com, founded by Dr. Michael Yuz.
"Medical errors are now considered to be the third leading cause of death," Yuz said. "Up to 400,000 patients die in the United States alone from preventable medical errors."
Now, new options like SecondOpinions.com allow you to get a second opinion without leaving your home.
Others include Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic's "My Consult".
Each allows you to upload your medical images to their server and match you with an expert board certified physicians.
"Forty to 50 percent of cases that come to us will provide a diagnosis that sometimes is substantially different from the original," Yuz said.
In Ella's case, a neuroradiologist and neurosurgeon reviewed her images.
"She is definitely not a surgical candidate, although she was told that she would be crippled unless she gets the surgery," Yuz said.
With a strict exercise plan, she's feeling better than ever.
"Life changer for me, absolutely. One hundred percent life-changer," Jakobi said.
If you would like a transcript and an address to write to for more information, check out medical breakthroughs on the web at Ivanhoe.com.