Complications
Complications are unintended and often undesirable outcomes that can occur during medical procedures or treatments. They can range from minor issues to more serious adverse events and may arise due to various factors such as underlying health conditions, surgical errors, or reactions to medications. Understanding complications is crucial for healthcare providers to anticipate risks, mitigate potential harms, and ensure patient safety.
Subscribe to the BlogNew England Journal of Medicine: R.I.P. Back and Neck Fusion Surgery
There has been an explosion in low back and neck fusion surgeries in the past two decades. However, I often tell my patients that “fusion is a dog with big fleas.” After they have a spinal fusion and are seen in the office and have more pain somewhere else, I tell them that they’re now…read more
Top 10 Questions to Ask a Stem Cell Clinic
Orthopedic stem cell providers are not all created equal. When making the decision to put all of your trust into a stem cell clinic and physician, it’s important that you know the right questions to ask—and just as important that you know whether or not you’re getting the right answers. Our top 10 questions to…read more Is IV Stem Cell Therapy a Good Idea?
I got an e-mail yesterday from a physician colleague asking about whether IV stem cell therapy for knee arthritis was for real. It hit me that this would be a great blog topic as the number of physicians offering IV stem cell therapy has exploded in recent years. So is this a good idea? Is…read more Hip Replacement Side Effects from MOM Hip Implants Just Keep Piling Up
We just blogged a few days ago about the hip replacement side effects from metal-on-metal (MOM) hip implants, and already there’s a new complication to toss on the MOM hip implant garbage heap. During the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting this week, presenter Dr. Stephen Graves shared research results concluding that the risk of heart…read more Shoulder Surgery Side Effects: Common Procedure Is Bad News
Old shoulder surgery habits die hard, despite the side effects. This past week I posted the results of a study showing that adding in an acromioplasty surgery to a rotator cuff tear doesn’t help patients. One surgeon who loves the procedure protested that removing the stabilizing ligaments of this part of the shoulder is without…read more Acromioplasty: Why This Frequent Addition to Rotator Cuff Surgery Is Usually a Bad Idea
Acromioplasty: To Chop a Shoulder or Not Chop a Shoulder…That Is the Question Is acromioplasty a beneficial addition to rotator cuff surgery, and is recovery time impacted by this addition to shoulder surgery? One of the big issues with rotator cuff surgery is the long recovery time spent in an immobilizer brace. Unfortunately, the more procedures…read more There’s a Reason Success Rates for Wrist Replacement Are So Low: It Isn’t the Answer!
You never realize how big a deal your hands are until something goes wrong with them and all of a sudden you can’t write, carry things, or type without pain. There are few good treatment options for problems with wrist arthritis and pain at the base of the thumb, and a recent study showing a scary low…read more Stem Cell Clinic Reviews: Perception vs. Reality
A while back, I booked a hotel room and learned a lot about the differences between the real deal and a copy of a copy. The hotel room looked great in the pictures, so I excitedly booked it online. When we got there, perception and reality were quite different. The really hip furniture that looked great online,…read more 
