Daily Decisions

Day 1 of 14·0 points
Reviewer demonstration. This fixed Day 1 view uses a demo participant and illustrative content.

Decision 1 of 4·Health

The back surgery

You have had back pain for two years that limits walking and sleep. A surgeon offers a procedure. For people in your situation, the procedure gives substantial relief 64% of the time, partial relief 30% of the time, and leads to a serious complication 6% of the time. Physical therapy three times a week for six months gives substantial relief 45% of the time and carries no serious risk. Doing nothing gives substantial improvement 20% of the time.

Look it up

Search 3 documents about this situation. Open any result to read it.

All 3 documents

  • In a registry of patients with two or more years of pain, 64% reported substantial relief one year after the procedure, 30% reported partial relief, and 6% experienced a serious complication such as infection or nerve injury requiring further treatment.

Which course do you choose?

How confident are you in this choice?
Not at allCompletely
How much did you rely on the sources?
Not at allCompletely