You need surgery, or maybe not. A conservative medical doctors point of view of orthopedic recommendations. Over the years we have seen many patients who had elective surgery when a good rehab therapist would have done wonders and often would have saved both on cost with a good outcome in the end. Some people have mistaken idea that surgery is better than good conservative non invasive management. I came across a blog where the doctor who is conservative in his approach thinks this way which is refreshing and he has a great blog post on this subject. In this procedure crazy medical world, often a pragmatic approach with open minded guidance often is more helpful to people who have problems than just performing a procedure. I wish more doctors thought like that. Check out this insightful article. You need surgery!... Well maybe not by Howard Luks MD The past few weeks saw a number of articles and papers come out on the issue of elective orthopedic surgery. When you are being told you "need" surgery for anything that is not life or limb threatening, there's almost always time to dive in, learn more, seek another opinion or two, and talk to your family and loved ones to explore your options. This past week saw articles relating to the fact that: Many patients with joint replacements do not experience tremendous improvements in their quality of life IF they have multiple joints affected by osteo or rheumatoid arthritis. The results of the surgery on the limb operated on might be great, but the overall improvement was less dramatic because of the disability brought on by the other joints which remain affected. read more