Knee surgery is ‘pointless and potentially harmful’ for thousands of patients says study
Elderly and middle-aged could be better off if doctors prescribed them exercise therapy according to study in British Medical Journal
Tens of thousands of patients are having knee surgery that is pointless and “potentially harmful”, experts warn.
More than 150,000 knee arthroscopies are carried out every year.
But any benefits for middle-aged or older people with sore knees having the operation are “inconsequential” and only last one to two years.
Patients are needlessly being put at risk of serious complications and could be better off if doctors prescribed them exercise therapy instead, according to a study published in The BMJ medical journal.
Researchers found that while rare, deep vein thrombosis was the most frequently reported adverse effect.
This was followed by infection, pulmonary embolism and death.
Knee arthroscopy is a type of keyhole surgery that looks inside the knee joint to find out more about problems, such as inflammation.
The study is published in The BMJ as part of its campaign to highlight waste caused by unnecessary care.
Source : http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/knee-surgery-pointless-potentially-harmful-5895457
Be the first to comment