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AK midgeley wrote: > >I have a 42 yr old chap with severe OA of his Rt knee. He is a "cripple". He > >cannot undertake any exercise and just about manages to get about with a > >'stick. The pain clinic has done their very best. He is now on tramadol, > >with side-effects. He can't take NSAIDs because he has asthma (well > >controlled). > > > >None of the local (and not so local) orthopaedic surgeons will give him a > >new knee because "..it will only last 15 yrs..", "..I don't want to have to > >do 3 replacements on you in my working life...", etc :-( > ----------------------------- > Now I was never an Orthopod... but I thought if a joint was desparately > painful and didn't work, putting a big bolt through it stopped it hurting. > > Old stuff I know, no bendy bits to it. > > Try any Orthopaedic surgeon, at the Nuffield. "I don't want to do this > three times - forsooth". > Not that item of service payments alter what GPs do of course oh no. > > Of course, if a new hinge would last 15 years, they could nail it shut > after it wears out instead of straight away? - sorry to expose my complete > failure to grasp modern medicine in public like this. Typical orthopod response. what would we think if the following was said in other contexts: 'We won't do your bypass in case we have to do it again' 'we won't laser your retina because evidence shows it often needs doing again' etc. it's clear that someone with this level of symptoms needs knee replacement and the fact (actually a probability only) that it will need replacing is irrelevant. he could surely have the arthrodesis then if necessary? I suggest write and 'complain' or send him elsewhere. If knee replacement is about anything its about relief of pain Would it be cynical to suggest if you were fund-holding thay would do it? (Or maybe you are anyway) Jim Parle %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%