Being told that you are a candidate for joint replacement surgery can be overwhelming. Even if you have been dealing with hip or knee pain for years, the idea of surgery can bring up a lot of questions.
If you're unsure about moving forward with a joint replacement, getting a second opinion can help you better understand your diagnosis and your treatment options and ensure you can make the right decision for your care. Even though your provider recommends surgery it may not be the right treatment for you!
Did you know joint replacement is often done too early or performed on patients that should not have received the surgery? Over 400,000 patients a year are told that they are candidates for joint replacement surgery when in fact the surgery is not appropriate or is offered prematurely. This results in thousands of patients feeling unsatisfied with their surgery.
Joint replacement surgery can be life changing treatment for people by “curing” them of their arthritis, but deciding when to have surgery is a personal decision based on YOUR pain and how the pain effects YOUR activities.
The recommendation for surgery should consider more than just your X-rays. Your pain, mobility, daily activities, overall health, previous treatments, and personal goals all play a role in customizing your treatment for your moderate to severe knee and/or hip pain.
For many patients, surgery may be the right next step. For others, there may be additional non-operative treatments worth considering before undergoing surgery. These non-operative treatments are also the ways to best to prepare for surgery if needed.
A second opinion can help you understand and answer all of these questions on “where you stand” with your arthritis and pain.
Getting another opinion doesn't necessarily mean that the initial recommendation was wrong—or that you should avoid surgery. Think of this second opinion as a way to confirm what you have been told and reaffirm decisions for the treatment of your severe hip or knee arthritis.
In fact, a second opinion may confirm that joint replacement surgery is the appropriate option for you to consider right now. It may also identify other non-operative options as knee and hip replacement alternatives that could help manage your symptoms and reduce pain. These alternatives may allow you to stay active and participate in the activities you enjoy while postponing surgery until you feel ready. Having that confirmation can give you greater confidence and peace of mind as you make your decision. Remember the decision to proceed with surgery is all yours.
A second opinion can give you confidence that you are making the right decision at the right time.
What matters to you?
One of the most important parts of deciding whether to have a joint replacement is understanding how your arthritis affects your life and the activities that you want to do.
Joint replacement surgery is elective, so the decision on when to have surgery is up to you. There is no right or wrong time. As long as you can maintain motion and exercise the muscles around the joint, there is no amount of joint wear from arthritis, even bone on bone arthritis, that we cannot fix.
The decision to have surgery is an individual decision based on how much pain you are having and how that pain is impacting your life. Your choice to have a joint replacement should be a shared decision making process between you and your orthopaedic surgeon to decide what is best for you.
Ask yourself:
· How much does my pain interfere with my life and activities that I would like to do?
· What activities have I stopped doing because of my arthritis pain?
· Have I tried non-operative treatments, and how well have they worked?
· What are my goals?
· What are the potential benefits and risks of surgery?
· How can I best prepare for surgery?
Answering these questions can help you have a more meaningful conversation with your PCP or orthopaedic specialist and help in the shared decision making process.
Joint Effort Second Opinion simplifies the process of seeking a second opinion. From the comfort of your home and with X-rays you have already received, you can receive a second opinion from Dr. Tony DiGioia, knee and hip arthritis specialist with more than 30 years of clinical experience who has performed over 15,000 joint replacement surgeries. This second opinion will provide you with an individualized report that you will receive that can then be shared with your providers to determine the most appropriate treatment pathway and aid in the shared decision making process.
If you've been told you need a joint replacement but aren't sure you're ready, make the decision with all the information.
A second opinion from Joint Effort Second Opinion can provide an expert perspective and help you understand whether surgery is the right treatment for you, at this point in your life.
Whether you ultimately decide to move forward with surgery, continue with non-surgical treatment, the goal is the same: to make an informed decision that supports your health, mobility, and quality of life.
The goal of the Joint Effort Second Opinion program allows you to understand all of your options and provide the confidence that you need to make the right decision at the right time.