A Partnership between the Patient and the Doctor for your Surgery and Recovery

Since you have decided to proceed with surgery to treat your arthritic condition, we would like to re-emphasize the importance of developing a “therapeutic alliance”. Our partnership is very important as you move from your decision to have the surgery, to your recovery phase and beyond. However, you have had all available conservative treatment and continue to have pain that affects your activities of daily living. Therefore, together we have agreed that surgical intervention is the best option for you.

It is completely normal to be apprehensive before any surgical intervention, including hip or knee surgery. We would like to avoid feelings of helplessness and would rather have you, your family (and “coach”) as willing and active partners in this process.

As we continue to develop our therapeutic alliance, please understand that we will do the best job that we can do to get you back to full function and enjoying all of the activities that you would like to do and can’t do now. Our goal is to restore you to the highest level of activity as quickly as possible.

So our alliance begins with the understanding that we would expect nothing less than patients expecting 100% best outcomes in 100% certainty. However, as you know, even though we strive for 100% perfection in all ways, surgery is an art as much as a science and is dependant not only on the surgical intervention but your participation and the ability of your body to heal as well. We all know that there can be unexpected outcomes with any surgical intervention as well as in the recovery phase and beyond. We know there is some uncertainty and must acknowledge it. However, no matter what the outcome, we will work through it together and will be there with you every step of the way!

As you go through this experience, please feel free to share how you feel about the process and the outcomes. Should your surgery proceed flawlessly and restore you to a full and active lifestyle, we can all rejoice in the outcome. Similarly, if surgery is not fully successful in your eyes or disappointing in any way, we will be able to deal realistically with the outcome- together.

Therefore, it is our goal to engage you in being an active participant in your care, you must understand your condition, the surgical intervention and most importantly, the expected outcomes. Please understand that you will be seen, heard, and understood at every step by both the physicians and the staffs in the office as well as the hospital. We emphasize education so that we can deliver information to you that makes sense and to enhance your ability to become a partner in your own care. By enlisting your help, we expect you to be an active participant in the decision making with the understanding that in the end, you control much of what can and will happen in your healthcare treatment plan. Ultimately, this process can play a major role in improving not only your function and safety but the function and safety of other patients as well.

Thank you and we look forward to our partnership.