The health of your home is a core concern for patients, staff and the wider community.

This article helps you understand how to be confident in the care you receive.

What are the risks and benefits?

It’s hard to predict the impact of any one treatment or device.

But the risk of serious complications from elective surgery, and the need to monitor a patient’s recovery, are considerable.

What does the evidence say?

The evidence is mixed, but most experts agree that there is a high risk of adverse events after surgery.

There are also few data on long-term outcomes, so it’s impossible to know how safe or effective these treatments are.

Some of the treatments have not been shown to be safe or beneficial, or to be effective for many people.

What should I do?

Patients should be cautious in the first few months after surgery and monitor their health and well-being, especially if they’re over the age of 65.

The aim of treatment should be to reduce pain, improve quality of life and prevent long-lasting side effects.

If possible, follow the care plan and make an appointment with your doctor.

A physical therapist may be able to offer other support.

Where do I go for more information?

If you’re still not sure, you can read more about the evidence base here.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, updated April 2018, contains the latest evidence from all of the Cochrane reviews.

It can also be accessed here.

This is not an endorsement of this product or service, nor does it necessarily reflect the views of Australian Financial Reviews.