Placebo Surgery

[Flavus Aquila]

I had an interesting conversation recently about the placebo effect.

Recent studies show that placebos are effective, even when the patient knows they are receiving the placebo.

An interesting question came up: Do 'fake' surgeries also produce the placebo effect? (Eg. Back pain surgeries, stomach restricting surgeries, sinus surgeries, etc.).

*Google stuff, as needed*

 

[hush]

If someone has a health issue bad enough that it requires surgery, I would be skeptical of a placebo surgery having any beneficial effect on the patient. Any invasive procedure should be minimized unless necessary, so cutting someone open knowing that you aren't actually treating the problem, even with a patient's full consent, seems a bit unethical. I know the prompt in the OP is whether it would have a placebo effect, but I think it's critical to consider the possible negative effects as well. The risk of complications, including death, with normal surgeries is bad enough, so adding those on top of a placebo surgery makes the risks outweigh the potential benefits, in my opinion. Add on top of that, that taking the time to do a placebo surgery also delays a patient receiving the actual surgery/treatment they need. I recognize the utility of placebo surgeries for research purposes, because taking the treatment portion of a surgery out can help control for the effects of other non-treatment portions of a surgery, but I still remain skeptical. If you have a slipped/herniated disc for instance, no amount of placebos are going to fix that, or mask that pain. It's an interesting subject, though.

 

[the]

All I know is that I once had AIDS and after my placebo surgery I've felt great! I've been having unprotected sex ever since.

 

[Faye]

Unless the pain is psychosomatic, I doubt it. Also, how is it ethical or even possible to perform 'fake' surgeries? Do they use anesthesia and then pretend to do something?

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Unless the pain is psychosomatic, I doubt it. Also, how is it ethical or even possible to perform 'fake' surgeries? Do they use anesthesia and then pretend to do something?

Some surgeries have very low success rates, in terms of desired outcome. I think pain and cosmetic/weight reduction surgeries would be prime candidates for a study in placebo surgeries.

The ethics are definitely a question, but if the same principles used in any double-blind study are used, I think it's less of a question.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

All I know is that I once had AIDS and after my placebo surgery I've felt great! I've been having unprotected sex ever since.

Real surgeries are never used as a curing treatment for aids. Pick a better mocking example:

"My broken hip was operated on the same day as my fall; and I'm already walking around three days later."

 

[Sriracha]

 

[the]

Real surgeries are never used as a curing treatment for aids. Pick a better mocking example:

"My broken hip was operated on the same day as my fall; and I'm already walking around three days later."

My example did the trick.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

My example did the trick.

And I fell for it.


rats

 

[Littlelissa]

Unless the pain is psychosomatic, I doubt it. Also, how is it ethical or even possible to perform 'fake' surgeries? Do they use anesthesia and then pretend to do something?

Apparently they do work, just as the placebo does. Makes a bit of a mockery about medicine. Shows that if we believe an intervention is going to work, it might work although nothing is being done.