Portal Login:
  • Clients
  • Providers
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
    Portal Login:
  • Clients
  • Providers
  • About MCN
  • Careers
  • MCNTalk
  • Contact Us

MCN | Medical Consultants Network

The Power of a Second Look

  • Services
    • Independent Medical Examinations
    • Medical Peer Reviews
    • Bill Review Services
    • Utilization Reviews
  • Expertise
    • Short and Long-Term Disability
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Auto/PIP/Casualty/Liability
    • Independent Review Organization Services
  • For Clients
  • For Providers
  • Your Exam
    • About Your Exam
    • About Your External Review
    • Contact & Scheduling
  • Schedule Now
  • About MCN
  • MCNTalk
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

MCNTalk
News, Insights & Opinions

Home / MCNTalk / Surgery May Not Always Be Your Best Option

August 11, 2016

Surgery May Not Always Be Your Best Option

Each year, 400,000 Americans who are middle-aged and older have meniscus surgery. Given that there is not a clear relationship between knee pain and meniscus tears, orthopedists have wondered if the operations even make sense.

The results of a clinical trial performed by Dr. Jeffrey Katz, a professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, concluded that meniscus surgery offered little to most who have it. Other studies have come to the same conclusion; then in July, yet another study was published in The British Medical Journal that showed the surgery offered no additional benefit.

An accompanying editorial added that the surgery is in fact “a highly questionable practice without supporting evidence of even moderate quality,” and that “Good evidence has been widely ignored.”

Patients should be told that physical therapy is a good first-line therapy for pain relief and whether the surgery should be mentioned at all is up for debate among doctors. Ultimately, it is up to the patient to decide, but patients need all the information in order to make an informed decision about what is best for them. This New York Times article discusses this surgery among other potentially “useless” surgeries. Unlike drugs, which go through rigorous testing under the watchful eye of the Food and Drug Administration, surgeries do not undergo clinical trials and are not regulated by the FDA.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • More
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Print

2 Comments

Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jk says

    August 12, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    Katz is right

    Reply
  2. Brenda says

    September 8, 2016 at 10:59 am

    I had surgery to meniscus tears on both knees. My pain prior to surgery was affecting my ability to sleep. 15 years after the surgery, I am still pain free.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • The Quality Divide: What Makes a Quality IME Physician?
  • The Quality Divide: Is Your Vendor Driving IME Excellence?
  • The Quality Divide: When and How to Request an IME?
  • April Clinic Calendars Are Available
  • MCN’s Client Portal Login Page is Changing

Archives

Footer


  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Quick Links

  • Services
  • Expertise
  • About MCN
  • Careers

Division Headquarters

MCN
1200 5th Ave., Ste. 650
Seattle, WA 98101

See all offices

Email Us

General Inquiries: info@mcn.com
Sales & Marketing: marketing@mcn.com

Call Us

206.343.6100
800.248.6269

© Copyright 2023 Mitchell International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap