Orthopedic surgeons are in constant conversation with patients about their care and treatment. Three surgeons said the questions they get most from patients are about recovery.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting orthopedic care. We invite all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: How can orthopedic practices better leverage data analytics?
Please send responses to Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
Editor's note: Responses were edited for style and clarity.
Question: What are common questions patients ask you?
John Corsetti, MD. New England Orthopedic Surgeons (Springfield, Mass.): A very common question posed by my patients is 'How long is my recovery from surgery going to be?'
This question gets to the core of why we do what we do — the restoration of function for our patients. The answer obviously depends largely on the patient's functional expectations, but spending ample time addressing this issue is critical in every preoperative consultation.
Jason Weisstein, MD. Yavapai Regional Medical Center. (Prescott, Ariz.): The most common questions I receive:
What caused my knee or hip arthritis?
How long will it take to get back to golfing?
When can I drive after hip or knee replacement?
Why didn't the injection work for my knee arthritis?
Is the operation covered by my insurance?
Andrew Ames, DO. New England Baptist Hospital (Boston): One of the most frequent questions I encounter after hip arthroscopy is, 'How soon can I return to sports?'