Surgery of any kind – major or minor – is no cake walk.
If you’ve ever gone under the knife, you know first-hand that you’re in some kind of PAIN the days – and even weeks – after leaving the operating table.
And once your surgery is over, chances are you’re handed a prescription for a high-powered painkiller to help you cope with your pain.… Read More
As we age, we face an increasing possibility of having surgery.
More than half of all surgeries (53%) are performed on people over 65.i
Heart disease, cancer, fractured bones, and any number of other medical conditions might force us under a surgeon’s knife.
There is one surgical complication that seniors need to worry about more than any other. And it’s something that doctors rarely mention to patients.… Read More
Shoulder pain is one of the biggest health complaints among older people. Each year, more than more than 200,000 Americans have surgery to treat it.
The most common shoulder procedure is called “decompression.” It is supposed to cure or improve “impingement.” This is what doctors call pain and restricted range of movement in the shoulder.i
During the operation, the surgeon threads an arthroscope through a small incision to repair or remove damaged tissue.… Read More
When robotic surgery first became popular a few years ago, it seemed like an idea whose time had come.
We’ve all heard horror stories about surgeons making horrible mistakes. Robotics promised to take human error out of the equation.i
Robots never have shaky hands. They are more precise than a human can be. They can operate in tiny spaces too small for a surgeon’s fingers to reach. … Read More
Each year doctors perform a procedure on tens of thousands of seniors that is supposed to make them able to walk better and live without pain.
But study after study shows it’s a sham. There’s overwhelming evidence it doesn’t work at all. It’s no better than a placebo.
A major review concludes that despite the damning findings, surgeons continue to reap billions in revenues by performing meniscectomies on unsuspecting patients.… Read More
These are boom times for surgical centers.
The first ones opened in 1970. They were low-cost alternatives to hospitals for minor surgeries. They were places to go for routine outpatient procedures. Things like colonoscopies or cataract removal.
But today, they’ve become a huge business. They now outnumber hospitals. There are more than 5,600 across the country. And in the quest for profits, they have started doing more complicated surgeries, like delicate spinal procedures.… Read More