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Joint replacement surgery skyrocketing

ANDRÉ PICARD

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:26 PM EDT 29/03/08

But new data show that 1 in 7 patients are readmitted to hospital within a year ...Read the full article

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  1. robert rishchynski from Toronto, writes: Can someone comment on how much the typical joint replacement surgery, recovery and follow-up treatment costs? Are all aspects of the procedure covered by provincial medical insurance? I'm interested in this side of the story, which was not talked about by the author.
  2. Jim Hope from Saint John, Canada writes: I had knee replacement surgery performed on Jan29 2007. It was totally covered by the NB Medicare Plan. I have no figures as to the dollar amount of the surgery.
  3. Mark H from Indy, United States writes: I wonder how the long wait in many areas of Canada contributes to the rate of people heading back to the hospital? This article didn't even mention the wait times. An article last week said it was YEARS in Ontario.
  4. Kathy H from Canada writes: if you google the question "cost of a hip replacement in canada" you will get several links with prices. Here's one (and note the comment at the end)
    Ankle replacement is $16,000-$17,000
    spinal surgery $12,000
    partial knee replacement $11,500
    hip arthroscopy $6,000
    shoulder dislocation repair $3,000-$6,000
    ACL tear $4,000-$5,000
    ...These costs do not include post-surgery physiotherapy. Residents of
    British Columbia pay slightly less because the surgeon's fee is paid
    by the provincial health plan. Patients from other provinces can apply
    for reimbursement of the surgeon's fee from their own provincial
    health plan.
  5. Kim Philby from Ottawa, Canada writes: Given today's G&M article about staph infections running rampant in hospitals, anyone contemplating such surgery might want to weigh the discomfort of a bad hip or knee against what they might catch in the hospital. Unless it's really making your life unbearable, it might be better to swallow a couple of Tylenol 3's and just carry on as best you can.
  6. Christine Tighe from Bouctouche, Canada writes: I think, instead of resorting to surgery on joints, the medical profession should look more towards removing gluten from these patients diets and sit back and watch them improve! Gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley, has a lot to answer for. It amazes me how the people in Australia are way ahead of us on this!
  7. Concerned Person from Canada writes: Having had a hip replacement and then twelve years later a revision for that same hip which my surgeon tells me "should see me out" I thank heaven for all the 'guinea pigs' that have gone before and made the experience and the result so satisfying. I'd say to 'Kim Philby' that while there might be a small risk from infection or from something else (nothing is risk free) that 'walking funny' to compensate for a very painful hip or knee may result in damage to other parts of the body. Get it done. Move on.
  8. Tyler Williams from seattle, United States writes: Interesting.

    You know, in terms of accuracy, the first part of this medical story could actually have run equally well under a totally different headline, over there under the "Life and Leisure" Section:

    "The number of working-age Canadians getting joints has more than tripled in recent decades: The demand for joints also continues to climb among seniors, more than doubling over the same time period..."
  9. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: Who would have thought.......aging population with worn out joints and an increase in operations!!! Must be a connection there somewhere.
  10. anthony rockel from Canada writes: While joint replacement surgery is "skyrocketing" so is obesity. Anyone see a connection?
  11. anthony rockel from Canada writes: The supposed causal connection (doubtful at best) between gluten and arthritis applies only to rheumatoid arthritis and NOT to osteoarthritis, which is by far the most common form of joint disease.
  12. Ursula Seawitch from Canada writes: I have been waiting in Hamilton Ontario for ankle surgery. I believe I will be determined to be too young for an ankle replacement because they have only started doing those in Ontario and usually are only for people in their 70's. I will likely have a joint fusion and a tendon transplant from behind my knee into my foot.
    I have been waiting since last August for an appointment and I have been told I will get an appointment in August or September of this year.
    While I am not skinny, my weight didn't cause the problem. It was sports injury almost 30 years ago. I wish I could go back and do that slide into third over again.
  13. Dave R. from Canada writes: The surgeons have a success rate in joint replacement operations of approximately 85%. Great if you're playing softball, but what happens to the 15% of people who are the victims of a surgeon's "bad day at the office"? From all reports, a junkyard dog gets more care. Are those thousands of cripples counted as part of the 70,000 "preventable medical errors" that occur in hospital each year. Or do the thousands of failed, unneccesary and experimental surgeries fall into a different category?
  14. Chris Edwards from Greater Sudbury, Canada writes: Dave R. - Not everything is under a surgeon's control. No matter the procedure, you cannot account for everything that may occur in the healing process, much of which is dependant on the patient's participation and understanding of their own role in their healing. Too often people try to do too much too soon, smoke cigarettes, don't bother to lose weight, come in for proper follow up care, etc. Infections are not completely preventable, and occasionally the progression of disease can worsen. It is gross oversimplification to focus on the 15% that are not successful and chalk it up to a surgeon's "bad day."

    Given your comments, you are among the unfortunately large group of delusional people who believe that medicine is an exact science and whose expectations of perfection will lead to perpetual dissatisfaction and unreasonable demands. Most of our health problems are self-inflicted at some point along the way.

  15. Chris Edwards from Greater Sudbury, Canada writes: One of the complaints of our health care system are long waits for elective surgery. By definition, elective surgery IS something that can wait, although some of the waits are excessive.

    The fact that an increasing number of younger people have been added to the rolls of patients waiting is cause for concern. This is largely due to the growing rates of obesity, people engaging in more "weekend warrior" leisure activities for which they are physically unprepared, and an overall unwillingness to suffer any discomfort whatsoever. Aches and pains used to be a fact of life that came with getting older - now baby boomers unwilling to yield to their inevitable fate have turned to surgery as a fountain of youth, and expect more and more money to be thrown at it.

    Somebody legitimately crippled by disease should have surgery immediately. If you just wish to be able to run a marathon, you should wait as long as it takes - I see no reason why my tax dollars should subsidize that.
  16. L P from Sydney Australia, Canada writes: Okay, I have left a comment 3 times about how this surgery is cheap and fast (3 weeks ) in Australia and each time the moderators have refused to post it. Is there a conspiracy in Canada so that no one knows that they are getting criminally duped by their Politicians and the religion called 'public health care'? How many people need to die or live unsatisfactory lives before the politicians and lobbyists who support public only healthcare are prosecuted for crimes against humanity? Go ahead G&M! Post my other comments and this one too.
  17. d. duck from burlington, Canada writes: Cost that the bone-doctor surgeon gets for any new insert can be found in the OHIP fee schedule on the internet. This is the gross fee the surgeon gets and not their net fee (after overhead and taxes). All other quoted cost would include the hospitals fee, physio, etc
    Cheers

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