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Hippiekinkster -> RE: Dental Adventures: Bridge vs. Implant (2/1/2009 1:57:19 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda
I'm curious, though - why does your dentist recommend the bridge over the implant?
He's a dull, unimaginative tech-robot who only does what he was taught in tooth-repair school? Cash infusion for a coke habit?
Who knows?
The heatherling linked to an article from MSNBC or CNN or whatever; the actual escapes me now (could look it up; it's on the "Ow! What a Pain!" group), where some quack is advocating against the use of opioids for chronic pain, especially long-term.
Turns out the fuck is an orthopedic surgeon. His idea of treating people is cutting them open and inserting things, or cutting away something. It's invasive, it exposes the CLIENT (I fucking hate the word "patient") to unnecessary risks, including iatrogenic death, it's irreversible, and surgery often has to be performed multiple times to try and correct what the previous quack fucked up.
In stark contrast, I have been on opioids (oxycodone) for nearly 10 years. I haven't had to go through expensive, time-consuming, and painful physical therapy to try and recover from surgery. I haven't exposed myself to hospital-acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus (or any other resistant bacterium). I haven't risked a botched surgery (happens frequently). I haven't risked getting the wrong meds from an alcoholic hung-over nurse. And I haven't put money into an Orthopod's pocket. Generic Percocet used to cost me $15 a month. I used to have a low deductible, so the first prescription of the year would be about $100. Add another $165 to that.
Pain meds: $265/year.
3 or 4 office visits: $60-$80. Figure $80 for 4.
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Annual total: $345 per year.
Nine years of this is $3105.
I switched to a pain clinic December 2007. Switched to oxycontin, too. I had an MRI ($150 co-pay), and 3 injections into my spine ($160 copay each). Then my meds ($1000 med deductible in January 2008) for pain were about $300 for two months; $30/month thereafter. 12 monthly doc visits @$40 per.
Also got a TENS unit, and a back brace. About $500 out of pocket.
Total for 2008 is $2350 for the year.
Grand total is $5455 plus misc. (parking, etc.); let's be liberal and round up to 6 grand.
I don't know how much a knee replacement is. My detached retina in 2006 cost over $9000 to get fixed (for about 30 minutes in surgery and another 3 hours in recovery). I figure a knee is more that. My out of pocket was around $4500.
Tell me what is more cost-effective.
That piece of shit quack rejects opioids because he doesn't make any fucking money from opioid therapy.
OK, that's part of the story.
I got a new PCP back around May of 2007. She continued to write for pain meds up until around August of 2007. Then she got all weirded out, and wanted better documentation for my pain (previous doc knew all about my orthopod visits, and PT, etc., but they weren't documented). SO I went for X-rays of my back, foot, and knee. I'd used this orthopod back around early Sept., 2001. He recommended knee replacement then (quelle surprise, oui?). This time he cheerfully informed me that I was addicted to pain meds, and recommended wearing orthotics, and PT for my back. Nothing about the knee. So then I went to the Wellstar-approved pain clinic. I spent over 30 minutes in the waiting room filling out forms, the majority of which were about money, not my ailments.
Nurse took me to a room, took my vitals, and left. Quack came in, did a couple cursory palpates and percussions, declared I had "chronic pain syndrome" (bullshit Dx, means they're clueless) and prescribes BIOFEEDBACK. (found out later he and biofeedquack went to med school together) Finally went to a pain clinic where they did an MRI and actually found out what was going on.
Now, they aren't all that cheap (could be cheaper if it weren't for the neocons' War on People who Use Drugs, but that's another rant), but they aren't wanting to cut me up or pass me on to some buddy who does experimental hocus-pocus BS.
Point is, specialists sell their specialty, AND/OR whatever makes them the most money (the number of unnecessary back, knee, hip, etc. surgeries each year in the US is staggering).
DO your research and don't let those assholes sell you on what they specialize in.
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