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Welcome back. I’m Dr. Dan Lieberman, your host on Best…
read moreDeciding to undergo minimally invasive knee surgery is an important step on the treatment journey, and there are many important aspects to consider. Next to questions about health, outcomes and potential complications, cost is understandably an important consideration for many patients. At Phoenix Spine & Joint, we understand this, which is why we do our best to deliver transparent cost information to everyone who comes to us for relief.
Phoenix Spine & Joint works with most forms of insurance that have out-of-network benefits. It’s important to note that each plan, procedure and patient is different. Because of this, we stress the importance of working closely with us to learn more about your financial responsibility as well as other related factors.
We believe in the importance of personalized care, since we know that no two situations are ever going to be the same. This is why we offer a free second opinion for people who have already been recommended for surgery from another provider. We’re passionate about guiding you through every step of your pain relief journey, including cost and insurance issues, to provide you with the information you need to make a decision.
If you are making a decision based on the total cost of a procedure, an important thing to remember are the potential costs that can come from avoiding or delaying surgery. So many patients who have a positive outcome from surgery say that their only regret is not undergoing the procedure earlier. This is why we’re sharing a few of the costs that come with avoiding knee surgery that you should be aware of.
Putting off your treatment can not only have its own financial costs, but it can also affect your relationships and activities levels in ways that may be harder to quantify. Factors to keep in mind include:
MAKE AN EDUCATED COST DECISION FOR THE TREATMENT YOU DESERVE
The Phoenix Spine & Joint team is proud of the 99% patient satisfaction rate we’ve achieved through our uncompromising dedication to delivering the best care. Our surgeons are orthopedic specialists who have the focused and relevant experience you’re looking for. We also perform our surgeries in an outpatient setting known for delivering a superior patient experience. Ambulatory surgery centers, or ASCs, have a lower risk of infection than surgeries performed in a hospital.
The decision to undergo surgery is a serious one, and we’re here to provide the resources you need to make an informed choice. This is why Phoenix Spine & Joint is passionate about giving you the highly individualized cost information you need to make the right decision for your unique needs.
Contact us today to speak with a patient solutions advisor to learn more about the costs associated with minimally invasive knee surgery.
We’re committed to solving your knee pain problems with the least invasive treatment possible.
We use the robot on every knee surgery, which means a personalized implant selection that results in a better outcome.
We utilize the only implant that’s approved to last for 30 years.
No hospital stay means a much lower risk of infection.
Partial knee replacements are half the surgery and recovery time of a total knee.
You should do 3 weeks of physical therapy before considering an MRI—studies show worse results if you get imaging at this point. If you are not better after 3 weeks of therapy, then (6 weeks since the pan began) you should get an MRI and referral to a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management. They will do a medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation as appropriate. Don’t let anyone talk you into epidural injection; that is not what you need.
You should do 3 weeks of physical therapy before considering an MRI—studies show worse results if you get imaging at this point. If you are not better after 3 weeks of therapy, then (6 weeks since the pan began) you should get an MRI. We can help you find a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management who doesn’t over-prescribe dangerous narcotics.
They will offer you medial branch block and epidural injection. Those don’t really work for this problem. Your options are (off label) intradiscal injection of stem cell-derived growth factors, denervation with the relevant procedure, and then referral to a spine surgeon for interbody fusion if those fail.
You need an MRI now and referral to a spine surgeon for possible laminectomy decompression surgery. We can help you find one who is board-certified and specializes in minimally invasive surgery.
You need an MRI now and referral to a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management. Don’t go to one that prescribes a lot of narcotics, they may get you killed. If you’re not better after 3 epidural injection you will be referred at 12 weeks to a spine surgeon to consider microdiscectomy. Note that you DO NOT need radiofrequency ablation; so, don’t let anyone talk you into a medial branch block.
This stuff can be confusing. Don’t sweat it. We’ve got you. Your MRI came with a report by a radiologist which describes the findings. If you don’t have a copy of your report, you can get one from the imaging center where the x-ray was taken. The doctor who prescribed the MRI has a copy as well. Find the section labeled Impression. First, under the impression, look for the word normal. If you see something like “Normal MRI of the hip then you are done. You do not need to check anything.
Next, search the impression section for the words osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis. If you see either one in the report, then ignore the rest of the report and check the osteonecrosis box. If neither of those is in the report, ignore the rest for now and continue.
This stuff can be confusing. Don’t sweat it. We’ve got you. Your x-ray came with a report by a radiologist which describes the findings. If you don’t have a copy of your report, you can get one from the imaging center where the x-ray was taken. The doctor who prescribed the x-ray has a copy as well. Find the section labeled Impression.
First, under the impression, look for the word normal. If you see something like “Normal x-ray of the hip then you are done. Check the box normal. Next, search the impression section for the word hypoplasia. If you see hypoplasia in the report then ignore the rest, and check the hypoplasia box.
If you are still going, then look for the word arthritis. The radiologist should have given the arthritis a grade from 1 to 4. If you see arthritis in the impression section but there is no grade, then look at the rest of the report for a grade 1,2,3 or 4 and check the appropriate box. If there’s no grade then you have every right to call the imaging center and ask them to have the radiologist to do their job and redo the report with a grade.
Not all orthopedic surgeons are the same. You deserve the best. That means a surgeon who is
In my experience less than 10% of orthopedic surgeons meet all five of these criteria. That means if you go to the surgeon you’ve been seeing, or the one recommended by friends or family, there’s a 90% chance you will not be getting the best.
At Phoenix Spine and Joint we make it our business to know the best. Call us for help finding the best surgeon near you who takes your insurance and is accepting new patients.
If you have any of the following red flags you need to see a doctor NOW!
Radiculopathy. This condition is most often due to herniated disc, but can also be caused by bone spurs, or compression of nerve roots as they leave the spinal canal. The traditional treatment is to confirm the herniation or compression by MRI, followed by a trial of epidural injection, with microdiscectomy or laminectomy surgery if all else fails.
Enter below and we will email or text you more information about how to get rid of your radiculopathy due to herniated disc.
Facet syndrome. Your low back pain is most consistent with arthritis. Look for confirmation on your x-ray and MRI reports with discussion about “arthritis.” The traditional treatment is radiofrequency ablation done by a pain management physician.
Enter below and we will email or text you more information about how to get rid of your low back pain due to arthritis.
Discogenic low back pain due to an annular tear. Sorry, this is the least common and the hardest to treat. Traditionally, the recommended procedure is fusion; however, that does not always work and causes adjacent level issues. More recently a denervation procedure was approved called the Intercept procedure from Relievant. Some doctors recommend injection, The two options are stem cell-derived growth factors, and ozone.
Enter below and we will email or text you more information about how to get rid of your discogenic low back pain.
