Why don't patients seek help for chronic post-surgical pain after knee replacement? A qualitative investigation

Although many people are satisfied with their outcome after total knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis, around 20% report chronic post-surgical pain. People are often disappointed and unsure about whether their pain is normal and what can be done about it. Given the high prevalence of long-term post-operative pain after knee replacement, there is potentially a large hidden population with an unaddressed need for care.

In this study, we focus on understanding why some people choose not to consult health care for chronic post-surgical pain after knee replacement.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had received total knee replacement, at either of two National Health Service hospitals in the United Kingdom, and who had chronic post-surgical pain (n = 34, age 55-93 years). Data were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

We found an overall sense of futility amongst participants who believed that nothing further could be done for their on-going pain. People's perception of their pain was often discordant with that of surgeons and physicians. Other factors that contributed to decisions not to seek help included low expectations about effectiveness and the risks involved in further treatment, treatment burden, participants' prioritization of other health conditions and views about candidacy. Many accepted their on-going pain.

Our study indicates why some people with chronic pain after knee replacement do not seek further health care. Understanding patients' beliefs and expectations about chronic post-surgical pain can inform approaches that might enable people to seek help in the future.