HEALTH COACH - Why Canada wastes millions in unnecessary knee surgeries - Health

HEALTH COACH -

 Why Canada wastes millions in unnecessary knee surgeries - Health  


 A panel of international experts says that a common, minimally invasive surgery is largely unnecessary for knee problems related to arthritis. Yet most arthroscopic knee surgeries in Canada are performed for this common condition. 
 The panel of doctors, physiotherapists, academics and patients reviewed 13 randomized trials with control groups and found that patients who underwent the procedure had the same results as those who did not. Do not. 
 Arthroscopic knee surgery involves sending a small camera called arthroscope through an incision in the knee, allowing surgeons to look inside and use small instruments For cutting the fabrics. 

 "This is not helping people in the long run." 
 - Dr Reed  Siemieniuk  

 Dr. Reed Siemieniuk of McMaster University, who chaired the panel, said the ease of procedure makes it an attractive option for doctors who want to relieve chronic pain from their patients' knees. 
 "It 's not very invasive, it usually has a low risk, but if it does not cause people in the long run, even small risks can become important when it' s so common" . 
 $ 31 million in health care spending 
 Siemieniuk said that arthroscopic surgery has proven effective in a small subset of patients such as those who have had a sports injury or have suffered a sudden trauma of the knee by an accident. 

 Dr. Reed Siemieniuk, from McMaster University, chaired the panel of international experts who concluded that arthroscopic surgery is ineffective For most chronic knee problems (University of Toronto) 


 But the panel's research found that in Ontario alone, of the 27,000 people who had knee surgery in 2013, about 90% were due to arthritis. 
 With an average cost of $ 1,300 per procedure, the figures suggest $ 31 million in health care spending that probably did not benefit the patient in the long run. 

 Proof that arthroscopic surgery is ineffective for arthritis began to emerge a decade ago, but doctors have continued to recommend it to their patients to treat secondary problems arising from the condition Such as meniscus tears, sudden pain or click and catching of the knee. 
 No easy answers 
 In its new clinical guidelines published in The BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal), Siemieniuk and the rest of the panel recommend against arthroscopy for these symptoms. 
 He stated that there were no easy answers for chronic knee pain. 
 "The first steps are weight loss, physiotherapy and analgesics, be it injections or topical creams. But in the long run, people with arthritis and chronic knee pain end up Need a knee replacement surgery ". 
 Siemieniuk said that it is up to decision makers and health doctors to decide how to discourage unnecessary knee arthroscopic surgery because the guidelines are accurate.