A Patient Was Told She Needed Knee and Ankle Surgery
Often, Dr. Lox is consulted for his opinion after patients see other doctors. This patient specifically was 70 years old and lived out of state. She found Dr. Lox after being told she needed knee and ankle surgery and was not happy with that. The patient previously had hand PRP which was effective, and she really wanted to see if PRP would work again. The orthopedic physician she saw ordered an MRI of her Ankle and foot. He told her her she had a tarsal coalition and arthritis, he advised ankle surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiuzAdbCoGo
Consulting an Expert
Dr. Lox requested the records of the orthopedic physician and the MRI results. Interesting, the radiologist
impression was: #1. Talar dome osteochondral defect. She was not informed of that. Additionally, the orthopedic physician’s report stated she could either have a cortisone injection or PRP, but he doubted that it would last long. There was no mention of the talar dome in his report. The patient was very worried about this considering he jumped into recommending ankle surgery, but did not give her all of the facts about her MRI. He did not properly inform her of the MRI findings. This was a red flag.
Being Informed is Important
Dr. Lox explained everything and she was very grateful. She wanted to read more on this, and have another consultation before making travel arrangements. Helping patients to get good accurate information is the best way to help them make good decisions, and is just good medicine. Sometimes not all physicians are honest which is not good, but it’s reality. As a patient, it’s important that you stay involved in your own healthcare. Do your research. Do not believe everything a physician tells you. Seek second opinions and be aware of all of your options. In her case, she did not agree to knee and ankle surgery and wanted to explore her options. There are patients out there that trust the physician and proceed with ankle surgery after speaking to one orthopedic surgeon. That is not being educated and informed.
