Over a million people each year get pointless surgery


Placebos are important. It's how science determines whether medical treatments are inherently beneficial. And for drug research, it's easy — you just use a sugar pill, or something with a harmless side effect. But what about surgery? That's trickier, but still doable. Surgeons just make an incision, then fiddle around for awhile like they're performing an operation, then close it up.
It's called sham surgery, and it works as a surgical placebo. It's ethically complicated, so there haven't been that many placebo-controlled studies of surgical procedures. But those few studies have shocking results. Consider: each year more than 500,000 Americans get arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee, and 700,000 get similar procedures for meniscal tears.
And as Aaron Carroll explains, both of these procedures are no better than placebo. --Ryan Cooper
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
-
'Tariff stacking' is creating problems for businesses
The Explainer Imports from China are the most heavily affected
-
Can MAGA survive a US war on Iran?
Talking Points Trump's wavering sparks debate about 'America First'
-
'The Minnesota attacks join a grim catalog of political violence'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read