Do you want surgery?
This is not medical advice.
This article is NOT a suggestion against surgery. That decision is between you and your doctor.
This question is only in relation to orthopedics, not internal medicine, or any other realm.
That question is a helpful line of thinking that I use in practice, that has helped people focus on the big picture.
And it is not a snarky way of saying, “no pain, no gain.”
The full question is usually in relation to xrays or MRIs. “If they find something, do you want surgery?” Over 90% of the time the answer is no.
So if the answer is no, then what? What do we have to focus on to avoid that?
Time and answers
I’m lucky that I get to spend on average 10 hours with a patient. We get to figure out exactly what is going on over that time period. Things change, and people forget details.
In most cases, we are injured or debilitated because we are not strong enough to overcome the forces in our environment. That is an extremely over generalized comment, yet common among so many cases. In the case of the shoulder, they need as much range of motion as possible to be functional and pain free.
So if you want to avoid surgery, committing to the alternatives is going to be important.
Just this morning I was on a back pain forum, and someone was asking if they had to do all 3 sets of exercise to make their back pain better. They couldn’t be bothered with all 3 sets, it was too time consuming (were talking about 5 minutes here).
Ok, now it is snarky…”Do you want surgery instead?” or “How much is your back worth to you?” Can we put a price on our back? It’s pretty important.
I generally don’t like to lecture people, and really love to banter with patients who are proud of their laziness. They’re still coming, so it’s half in jest.
But when that question comes around again, it’s your choice.
Surgery is no guarantee
There is no guarantee that surgery is 100% without complications and successful. I am not saying don't do it. I am saying do some research and weigh your options.
Most surgeons are not “cut happy”
One argument Ive heard from patients against surgery is that surgeons are eager to perform more surgeries so that they can pay for their Porsche.
In my experience, that is rare. Most cases I've seen, the surgeon sends people to PT first. The surgeons I hear about have too many customers, and don’t need to cut on everyone.
They also want successful outcomes, for your safety, and probably some liability.
Maybe if they can fit you in tomorrow, that might be a red flag.
