So Many Unnecessary Surgeries in the U.S.

I have thought about that as well, and wondered if they were always necessary. Bobby’s brother was here visiting us, and he was telling us about a friend who had to have his first hip replacement at age 40, and he has had to have several of them done since, and now they just did a 4th one, all because the first one was not done right, and then he got MRSA infection.
Some people seem to do better afterwards, but some do not.

In my case, even though I have a bad knee from long-ago injuries , because I had the pulmonary embolism a few years ago, the doctor said that they could not ever do a knee replacement for me.
So, what I did instead was to read what aquatic exercises were beneficial to the knees, and I do those every day when I go swimming at the fitness center.

My knee is always going to have problems, but still, the exercise has made it work much better than it did before I started the regimen of exercise for it.
As long as I keep an anti-inflammatory diet, I do not have a lot of joint pain from the knee; so mostly, it just limits me from long walks.
 
I declined surgery for a torn rotator cuff and rested 3 months, as advocated by skeptics on the internet. I healed. I've had many bad experiences with doctors. It's weird that there are people who look for reasons to go see a doctor. Maybe it's because doctors are romanticized. I'm definitely not a romantic.
 

Nihil said:
I declined surgery for a torn rotator cuff and rested 3 months, as advocated by skeptics on the internet. I healed. I've had many bad experiences with doctors. It's weird that there are people who look for reasons to go see a doctor. Maybe it's because doctors are romanticized. I'm definitely not a romantic.
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I know some women especially who live at the doctors'. Not this gal, I try as much as I can to be my own MD. Glad you did the healing. Those surgeries so so often cause more injury to our body.
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I have thought about that as well, and wondered if they were always necessary. Bobby’s brother was here visiting us, and he was telling us about a friend who had to have his first hip replacement at age 40, and he has had to have several of them done since, and now they just did a 4th one, all because the first one was not done right, and then he got MRSA infection.
Some people seem to do better afterwards, but some do not.

In my case, even though I have a bad knee from long-ago injuries , because I had the pulmonary embolism a few years ago, the doctor said that they could not ever do a knee replacement for me.
So, what I did instead was to read what aquatic exercises were beneficial to the knees, and I do those every day when I go swimming at the fitness center.

My knee is always going to have problems, but still, the exercise has made it work much better than it did before I started the regimen of exercise for it.
As long as I keep an anti-inflammatory diet, I do not have a lot of joint pain from the knee; so mostly, it just limits me from long walks.
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When I want to read some miserable stories, I'll jump into Bonesmart and read some of the bad outcomes from hip and knee replacements. Makes me feel good. My knee is messed up and it's from the hip surgery drama.

And the thing is with my post op on hip replacement I was doing good 5 months post op and then things went downhill a lot. I could never get an answer from the surgeon on the numb burning thigh and a member on a forum told me what I was going thru. ummmmm
 
Nihil said:
I declined surgery for a torn rotator cuff and rested 3 months, as advocated by skeptics on the internet. I healed. I've had many bad experiences with doctors. It's weird that there are people who look for reasons to go see a doctor. Maybe it's because doctors are romanticized. I'm definitely not a romantic.
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I have shoulder issues from years of using the pullys at my gyms...Prolotherapy helped my right shoulder a lot and gave me 3 yrs of pain free shoulder. I could use it again.
 
I also recovered from a torn rotator cuff without surgery, though it was a very unpleasant 6-8 months.

I typically see my doctor once a year for "annual blood work," which I also don't see the point in. But if I don't go they won't give me a prescription for my blood pressure medicine, which is the only Rx I have. (My mother died of kidney failure caused by untreated high BP, so I am vigilant with that.)
 
C'est Moi said:
I also recovered from a torn rotator cuff without surgery, though it was a very unpleasant 6-8 months.

I typically see my doctor once a year for "annual blood work," which I also don't see the point in. But if I don't go they won't give me a prescription for my blood pressure medicine, which is the only Rx I have. (My mother died of kidney failure caused by untreated high BP, so I am vigilant with that.)
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A friend went thru hail and back with R.C. surgery and more than a year of rehab and ice and and and...and then ended up with shoulder replacement in spite of the surgery. Our bodies are never the same with the metal and plastic in them. THen we can worry about metal toxicity.
 
I too, had a bad rotator cuff, about 5 years ago, and the first thing out of the doctors mouth was "do you want to be referred to a surgeon"? Instead, I found a doctor who specialized in Sports injuries, and he gave me a cortisone shot, and a regimen of exercises to try on my home gym. The cortisone numbed the pain, and over a period of a month, or so, of exercises, the shoulder began to feel much better. Now, its as if it never happened. Then, a couple of years ago, I started having trouble with Sciatica....and again, the standard doctor response was "surgery". I have a granddaughter who is a nurse, and she e-mailed me a site on the Internet which showed some exercises for Sciatica....which I started doing, and now I rarely have any problems in that area.

I'm sure there are a lot of issues which require surgery, but if there is any kind of alternative, I will certainly reserve surgery as a last resort.
 
Don, absolutely. I ended up with sciatic nerve damage back in the 80's from a hysterectomy, so it's with me 35 yrs or so. Some times it fares, and I have exercises/stretches I do to take the pressure off the nerve.

There are PT's who specialize in floor work to take the pressure off the nerve internally. Yep, it's an old remedy and some younger PT's have taken to be certified in this work.

So much has been thrown under the bus so the Western MD's can jump on drugs and surgery. All this modern medicine, Balony....so they can satisfy their stockholders.
 
jaminhealth said:
A friend went thru hail and back with R.C. surgery and more than a year of rehab and ice and and and...and then ended up with shoulder replacement in spite of the surgery. Our bodies are never the same with the metal and plastic in them. THen we can worry about metal toxicity.
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I also have a friend who had RC surgery on BOTH shoulders, one at a time. Her recovery was long and difficult and painful, so after seeing her struggle I decided to wait it out after I had a MRI. Thankfully my injury finally resolved though it did take several months of misery. I had to sleep on my back with my arm over my head; for some reason that was the only position that wasn't painful. I hope I don't have to go through that again.

I have tried some of these guys' physical therapy methods... https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Their videos are entertaining and there is some good info there.
 
No one knows until their body is cut. The surgeons paint a rosey picture on how things will be.
Surgery is their bread and butter and honey.


Here is what another member from another group I'm a member said, and it's true we know what we have now but we could end up worse.


((I had surgery on my hand when I fell holding a glass table top. The surgery left it worse than what the glass had done and I had to do therapy to make my hand useable again. The feeling had just started coming back before surgery and never came back after that. I wish I had never done it. ))
 
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Had a conversation with a delivery guy today and he now lives in Los Angeles area but originally from Australia. He was on his knees putting things away for me and was having a bit of a struggle getting up, he could take off some weight too, but said this country does so many unnecessary surgeries and this means hips, knees, shoulders and so much more.

Said his sister is a surgeon in Australia and there is nothing like the push for surgeries as here in the U.S. and his sister does fine financially.

I told him I'm headed to 9 yrs post op hip replacement and live with a mess and that's why he delivers to my house. Once done, no money back and no return.

PT and time can often fix issues but the surgeons go to that replacement assembly lines.

I'd bet today a TKR runs about $50K...I'm just guessing.
 
C'est Moi said:
I've reached my 60's with plenty of doctor visits over a lifetime. I have yet to have any doctor "push" surgery of any kind on me. I call B.S.
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After surgeons have exhausted the steroid injections, which are very damaging, the HA injections which do nothing, they did not for me, what's left. Some work with PT and then the words come from the surgeon's mouth "you have bone on bone".... knee replacement is your next move. I now and again go to Bonesmart and read the post TKR stores, and omg, I'll go out with this poor knee. I bend it and straighten it out and many who have done the TKR have a hard time doing this. It's a long long hard rehab.

MOST are not willing to work with Prolotherapy nor is insurance and then there is a concern for infection from any injection....
 
At age 40, I started having wrist trouble. I had a job at a computer & the owner of the company discouraged ANY breaks - not even those required by law. When I had trouble gripping the steering wheel to drive, I saw their orthopedist who recommended immediate carpal tunnel surgery. He got very frustrated when I said I wanted to do a little research on the procedure. Later, when I saw him again, he started pushing me into the surgery, telling me "It takes only a few minutes & you'll never have problems again." I told him "I found that the failure rate is very high & many people are worse off than before." He said, "No...99% of people are cured of carpal tunnel." When I said I'd think about it some more, he stormed out of the room. It's one of those "Production Line Surgeries;" A few minutes work & a big bill to Worker's Comp.
Funny, when I changed jobs & my new employer allowed breaks from the computer, I never had wrist trouble again. I was cured.....a miracle! HaHa.

When I saw an eye doctor for dry eye, he tried to convince me to have an eye surgery that cures it by re-routing the tear ducts to the top eyelid. Other doctors' opinions said It would make it worse.

10 years ago, when I started having diabetes symptoms, my sister tested me with her meter - blood sugar over 500. Before my first doctor visit, she explained what I needed to eat, etc. When I saw the doctor, he tested my blood sugar - 250. (much better). He said I needed to be hospitalized IMMEDIATELY. I said, "Why?" He said I was severely dehydrated & needed IV fluids right away. I asked how he knew I was dehydrated. He said, "You're diabetic; all diabetics are dehydrated." Then he asked, who is your medical insurer? I said, "I don't have medical insurance." He changed his mind & said, "Drink 6 glasses of Gatorade every day." I asked, "Doesn't Gatorade have a lot of sugar in it?" He said, "Not really."

I told my sister what he suggested. She yelled, "NO!!! Gatorade is basically liquid sugar; 6 glasses of it would put you in the E.R....or in a coma"
So....why did the doctor want to hospitalize me? More than $10,000.00/day to my insurer.....until he found out I wasn't insured, then suddenly I didn't need hospitalization.
 
its all about money---i have been going to my pc doctor every 6 months to get my prescriptions filled--it takes several hours to see her and i already had an appointment--now she wants me to come back every 4 months---i guess she wants to buy a new car
 
twinkles said:
its all about money---i have been going to my pc doctor every 6 months to get my prescriptions filled--it takes several hours to see her and i already had an appointment--now she wants me to come back every 4 months---i guess she wants to buy a new car
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For the most part that is the U.S. Medical world TODAY, not in my parents lifetimes. Now it's payment first then patients needs.
 
When in senior years it's best to plan and get in shape for surgery. Know several who had rushed/better do it now surgery and some experienced triple recovery time and others didn't even make it out of the hospital. Those who wait or plan for more ideal circumstances/better health fair better.

And many orthopedic surgeries are not effective without rehab. If the surgeon is not emphasizing rehab along with knife there could be issues. One has to work on their own health including physical therapy. It's not just about the knife/repair.
 
WhatInThe said:
When in senior years it's best to plan and get in shape for surgery. Know several who had rushed/better do it now surgery and some experienced triple recovery time and others didn't even make it out of the hospital. Those who wait or plan for more ideal circumstances/better health fair better.

And many orthopedic surgeries are not effective without rehab. If the surgeon is not emphasizing rehab along with knife there could be issues. One has to work on their own health including physical therapy. It's not just about the knife/repair.
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I've been in good shape most of my life from dancing to going to the gym to a lot of walking and for me going into the hip job the surgeon saw I was in good condition, but regardless I still ended up with TOO MUCH damage from the knife and trauma.
 

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