Questions to ask your doctor before knee surgery

For some patients suffering from knee pain, non-surgical treatments may not provide long-term relief. In these cases, or in the case of a torn ligament or other knee injury, surgery is often recommended. It’s important to be informed about the surgery your physician recommends, particularly if it is an elective surgery. There are risks to any procedure, but asking the right questions can help you clearly understand those risks.

Important questions to ask your doctor before back surgery

Each year, about half a million Americans undergo back surgery for a number of reasons. Surgery is often the treatment of choice for a variety of causes of back pain. It may be used to remove the herniated portion of a disk, remove bone overlying the spinal canal, fuse together two or more bones in the spine to add stability, or implant artificial disks to eliminate pain from degenerated or injured disks.