Alternative to surgery
Unspoken Surgery Concerns
Surgery is a big deal. It is costly, invasive, requires time for physical recovery and interferes with many aspects of life. In fact, many people find Caring Medical on the internet because they are looking for an alternative to surgery. The reasons for wanting to avoid surgery are numerous – many want to avoid the physical toll it takes on the body, many can’t afford to be away from work long enough to recover, athletes worry about returning to their sport and others wish to avoid complications altogether.
Concerns over surgery are very common. The Journal of Bone and Joint surgery published an article on the unexpressed concerns of older adults recommended for surgery. They contacted 59 patients all age 60 and over. Knowing that one responsibility of an orthopedic surgeon is to counsel patients on the decision to have surgery, the researchers listened to the conversations between the patients and surgeons. They then contacted the patients via phone to ask them further about their concerns over surgery. It turns out the 59 patients had a total of 164 concerns. Some patients worried about the surgery itself, like the quality of life after surgery, the care facility they would stay in, the timing of the operation and their own capacity to meet the demands of surgery. They had to think about social support, transportation, and finances related to the operations. Other patients worried about the surgeons – their competency, communication, and professional practice.
The researchers found that patients only expressed about half of their concerns to the surgeons. The other half they kept to themselves. The article concluded that surgeons should probe deeper and counsel more to alleviate any concerns.
We wish that everyone knew the power of Prolotherapy as an alternative to surgery. Not only are the concerns mentioned common, they are also valid. Even the least invasive surgery can cause interference in one’s life. Prolotherapy is a great alternative because it is safe, effective, low-cost, non-invasive and allows a person to continue his life throughout the course of treatment. A Prolotherapy patient can go back to work the next day and an athlete can continue training and conditioning.
If you have been recommended for surgery, be aware that it is not your only option. Give us a call to discuss the role of Prolotherapy in healing your pain.
Check out our research study that compares Prolotherapy to surgery: click here. In this study, Prolotherapy was able to eliminate the need for surgery realistically in 31 out of 34 patients. If Prolotherapy could eliminate 80% of musculoskeletal surgeries in the United States, this procedure alone could make a tremendous dent in cost savings to Medicare, private insurers, and patients. This does not include the money that is lost from productivity and additional expenses that accompany surgery such as future or revision surgeries, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, medications, or disability (from continued pain). Prolotherapy does not have the risks associated with surgery. Often patients can immediately return to work after receiving Prolotherapy. Since results with Prolotherapy are often permanent, no future treatments are needed. These are reasons enough for patients to consider a Prolotherapy evaluation before undergoing a musculoskeletal surgery.
Phone: 708-848-7789 or email us at drhauser@caringmedical.com.
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