Posts by Joseph Adams8

I have a question... My mom has been dealing with osteoarthritis for quite some time now, but she finally decided to get a proper checkup. At the local clinic in a small town near Portland, they told her she needs surgery, but there’s a catch: she has to lose weight before they'll even consider operating on her. Over the last two or three months, things have taken a turn for the worse with one of her knees. She can't even leave the house because the pain is just unbearable. I ended up taking her to see a specialist at the Mayo Clinic, where they did scans on that painful knee, and the doctor basically said it's a complete disaster. I'm not sure how to put it professionally, but apparently, the cartilage is completely gone, and now the bone is grinding where it shouldn't be. It sounds like she urgently needs a total joint replacement...
She would prefer to stick with the local clinic since it would be much more affordable, but from what I've gathered, the waiting list is about a year long. There is absolutely no way she can wait even a month. Does the local facility not accept emergency cases? And honestly, how on earth is she supposed to lose weight when she can barely move? If she stops eating just to drop the pounds, she's going to end up with a whole host of other health issues!
I'm wondering if there is a significant difference in the quality of care, recovery times, and everything else between a major center like the Mayo Clinic versus a smaller regional hospital? What would you all recommend?