I had what turned out to be a torn meniscus which caused intermittent pain. Dr. Dugdale suggested that arthroscopic surgery was optional but, since I had a planned vacation which involved a lot of walking three months later, I elected to have the surgery.
What the X-Ray (and radiologist's report) said was that I also had mild arthritis. And the surgery had a risk of inflaming the arthritis. I don't recall Dr. Dugdale mentioning that risk, all I recall was a generic list that would apply to any surgery. But, regardless, following the surgery, I was in constant pain well beyond the expected recovery period and DR. Dugdale decided it wasn't an orthopedic problem and sent me back to my primary care physician. I eventually went to a different orthopedist (in a different practice) who ordered a new MRI and found the arthritis had, indeed, flared up.
The reason I won't return to Dugdale again is the way I was dismissed as not having an orthopedic problem when, indeed, I did - and not one that was difficult to diagnose or particularly unlikely under those conditions, if he'd taken the time. I hobbled through vacation, as a result. read more