Las Vegas NowFive Operations You Could be Better Off Not Having

Five Operations You Could be Better Off Not Having

Few patients want to hear they need surgery. It's risky, time consuming, and never cheap. During the second week in November, Anchor Paula Francis discussed a series of five operations you might be better off not having at all.

Click on the links below to the Mayo Clinic articles on back surgery, angioplasty, hysterectomy, episiotomy, and GERD.

Back Surgery: When is it a Good Idea?
Back pain is extremely common, and surgery often fails to relieve it. Find out why your back hurts and whether surgery might help.

Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting
Angioplasty can reopen clogged heart arteries during a heart attack or when plaque buildup is causing chest pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms. Find out how coronary angioplasty and stenting works and whether it's right for you.

Hysterectomy: Surgery to Remove Your Uterus
Understand when a hysterectomy is necessary. Find out how hysterectomy is done, what you can expect during recovery and what alternatives to hysterectomy exist.

Episiotomy: Can You Deliver a Baby Without One?
An incision extending the opening of the vagina - an episiotomy - was once a routine part of childbirth. But episiotomies aren't always necessary.

GERD: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
GERD is more than just chronic heartburn. Although heartburn is the most common symptom of this disease, GERD is a condition in which stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe (esophagus).