Over 500,000 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.
A second opinion can help make sure you are not one of those patients!
If you’ve been diagnosed with severe knee or hip arthritis and were told that you need a joint replacement, you might want to better understand “where you stand”. Ask yourself, am I truly at the point that I should consider surgery? Is surgery even right for me? Are there other non-operative options I should consider first? What sort of surgical approach is the best for me? Is robotic surgery better? What implant should I get?
If you feel unsure about getting hip or knee replacement surgery, you should know that studies have documented that 15-20% of the time, joint replacement surgery is performed prematurely or in patients who may not be appropriate candidates. In other words, many people who get hip or knee replacement surgery should not have had the procedure to start with and would have benefited from continuing non-operative treatment options to manage their pain and restore function. Studies suggest that every year, upwards of 400,000 to 500,000 out of the nearly 2 million knee and hip replacements may have been done earlier than needed.
The overutilization of joint replacement is an epidemic, and the problem is only growing. Why worry? Patients who undergo joint replacement too early may experience less than optimal short- and long-term outcomes after surgery and are at a higher risk for complications. In many of these cases, patients regret having surgery altogether.
That leads many patients to be uncertain about their treatment and ask, “When do I actually need a joint replacement?” Knowing whether you are truly a candidate for joint replacement surgery has greater impact on your outcomes than the type of implant, robotic technology or surgical approach used.
If you are not sure if a hip or knee replacement is the best treatment for you or you would like to confirm that you are an appropriate candidate for surgery, Dr. DiGioia’s Joint Effort Second Opinion is for you and can help answer these questions. Dr. Tony DiGioia, a knee and hip arthritis and joint replacement specialist with more than 30 years of clinical experience and over 15,000 joint replacements performed, created Joint Effort Second Opinion to give patients confidence in their decision without needing to visit another doctor’s office. Joint Effort Second Opinion makes the process as easy as possible by only requiring information you already have.
With Joint Effort Second Opinion, you can submit your survey and clinical information, and the X-rays you already have and receive your second opinion - all from the comfort of your home. Obtaining a second opinion in medicine is very common and even more important when it comes to joint replacement surgery. Joint Effort Second Opinion can provide you with additional confidence that you are making the best possible decision for yourself.
Joint Effort Second Opinion will provide you with an independent, individualized report that tells you “where you stand” by reviewing the severity of arthritis determined from your X-rays along with the level of your pain and how it affects your activities. The report will also highlight any portion of your medical history that could impact your arthritis and importantly, your outcomes after surgery.
Whether you have been told that you are a candidate for surgery and are looking for other non-operative treatment options, or if you have been told you are NOT a candidate for surgery but still have pain, Joint Effort Second Opinion can give you the knowledge and peace of mind you’re looking for. In addition, if you are a candidate for continuing non-operative treatment, we provide you with ways to reduce your pain and improve your function without surgery. If you are a surgical candidate, we suggest the best ways to prepare for surgery since many studies have shown that the best prepared patients have the fastest recoveries and the best outcomes.
The Joint Effort Second Opinion report was also developed with shared decision making in mind. It is a perfect report for you to share with your providers to aid in the decision-making process and help determine the most appropriate treatment for you. If and when to pursue a joint replacement is an important decision that should be made together with your healthcare providers.
A Joint Effort Second Opinion can help answer all of your questions: Am I truly at the point that I should consider surgery? Is surgery even right for me? Are there other non-operative options I should consider first? What sort of surgical approach is the best for me? Is robotic surgery better? What implant should I get?
Don’t become another statistic and get answers to the questions you have. Let Joint Effort Second Opinion give you the confidence you need to make the best choice and make sure you are getting the right treatment at the right time.