Before you have knee surgery, you should always get a second opinion.
Different orthopedic surgeons will have different opinions about:
- Whether you need surgery.
- The best type of surgery for you.
Most knee injuries and conditions don’t require immediate surgery. Take your time to seek a second opinion before making a decision about your treatment.
Seek a second opinion for:
Getting it right the first time matters
If your knee surgery isn’t done right the first time, you can’t go back and try it again.
Some orthopedic surgeons have more experience than others. Get a second opinion from a surgeon with lots of experience in the procedure you’re having or thinking about having. Choose an experienced surgeon for your surgery.
We often see patients who had poor results from knee surgery done somewhere else. While our orthopedic surgeons can make a bad result better, they can’t give you a result that will be as good as if the surgery had been done right the first time.
Getting a Second Opinion for An ACL Tear and Other Athletic Injuries
Nationally, only about 50% of athletes who have ACL reconstruction have two normal knees after rehab and are able to return to sport at the same level.
Injured high school and college athletes and their parents tend to trust the opinion of the team’s athletic trainer and doctor about treatment. Those opinions may not be in the athlete’s best interest.
Athletic trainers are often employees of a health system, and are required to refer patients to doctors in the health system. The team doctor may be a newer doctor chosen by the health system who does not have extensive experience in ACL reconstruction surgery.
At Shelbourne Knee Center, 85–90% of the athletes we treat return to sport at the same level within a year.
Getting a Second Opinion about Knee Replacement or Other Surgery
Many people with moderate to severe knee arthritis are told that a knee replacement is their only option. It’s not.
Often, specialized physical therapy relieves symptoms and improves function enough that patients no longer need a knee replacement. In fact, 76% of patients at Shelbourne Knee Center who completed our knee arthritis physical therapy program didn’t need a knee replacement.
If you do need a knee replacement, there are different ways to do the procedure and different types of implants (artificial knees) that the orthopedic surgeon can use. You should understand your options before choosing a surgeon.
Getting a Second Opinion After Knee Surgery
If you’ve already had knee surgery and aren’t doing as well as you think you should be doing, see your orthopedic surgeon. If you’re still not getting the information or help you need, get a second opinion on treatment that can help you.
Physical Therapy Often Helps After Knee Replacement
If you’ve had a knee replacement and aren’t feeling or functioning as well as you expected, physical therapy often helps.
In some cases, there are mechanical problems with the knee replacement that require another surgery.