Can the Number of Unnecessary Knee Replacements Be Reduced?

An article that I came across recently suggested that up to one-third of patients undergoing knee replacement continue to experience pain post-operatively and one in five of them regret having had the procedure. The conclusion is that this procedure is perhaps being performed too frequently (see:Up To A Third Of Knee Replacements Pack Pain And Regret). Below is an excerpt from the article:Most knee replacements are considered successful, and the procedure is known for being safe and cost-effective. Rates of the surgery doubled from 1999 to 2008, with 3.5 million procedures a year expected by 2030....Doctors are increasingly concerned that the procedure is overused and that its benefits have been oversold.....Research suggests that up to one-third of those who have knees replaced continue to experience chronic pain, while 1 in 5 are dissatisfied with the results. Astudy published last year in the BMJ found that knee replacement had “minimal effects on quality of life,” especially for patients with less severe arthritis.One-third of patients who undergo knee replacement may not even be appropriate candidates for the procedure, because their arthritis symptoms aren ’t severe enough to merit aggressive intervention, according to a 2014 study in Arthritis& Rheumatology.“We do too many knee replacements,” said Dr. James Rickert, president of the Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics, which advocates for affordable health care, in an interview....Although Americans ...
Source: Lab Soft News - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Cost of Healthcare Medical Consumerism Medical Education Medical Research Quality of Care Source Type: blogs