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Dear healthwellness82@gmail.com, You would be shocked to learn the number of unnecessary surgeries doctors perform each year -- especially for the back and knees. If you’re considering going under the knife, Dennis Gottfried, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, has vital information to help you determine whether you really need that operation. Here’s something comforting -- if you love crackers and chips but hate their unhealthy salt and fats, you’ll be happy to hear what award-winning cookbook writer Linda Gassenheimer, author of The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight, has to say about two low-fat, crunchy snack foods. She tells you how these tasty treats can help your waistline and even improve your health. Go ahead -- indulge! All the best,  Jessica Kent Editor BottomLineSecrets.com  New INSTANT Cure for Extra High Cholesterol -- Cholesterol Drops 100 Points or More Do You Really Need Surgery? Dennis Gottfried, MD Up to 30% of surgical procedures in the US are unnecessary. This shocking statistic was recently released by the respected nonprofit, nonpartisan policy analysis group, The Rand Corporation. The analysis confirms why it’s so crucial to request a second opinion from a physician who is not associated with your doctor before agreeing to any elective surgery. Procedures that may not be necessary -- and alternatives to consider... STENTS Each year, more than one million heart patients are treated with angioplasty and stents, which restore normal circulation to the heart and reduce angina (chest pain). With angioplasty, a deflated balloon is threaded into the coronary artery. It’s then inflated to flatten plaque (fatty deposits), and a metal stent is placed inside the artery to prevent arterial deposits from reblocking the opening. Problem: Angioplasty and stents are overused. A study of more than 2,300 patients presented at a recent meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that patients with stable angina, in which discomfort occurs in a consistent pattern (such as during exertion), who were treated with medications (such as nitroglycerine to dilate the blood vessels) had the same outcomes as those treated with stents -- without the dangers of an invasive procedure. Who is helped by stents: Patients with a recent worsening of chest pain (unstable angina). For people with a significant blockage in the left main coronary artery or with three coronary arteries blocked and a weakened heart muscle, bypass surgery (which involves grafting a vein from another part of the body to bypass the blockage) improves life expectancy. Who isn’t helped by stents: People with stable angina. These patients usually should be treated with medications to control the pain and to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Medications are just as effective at preventing future heart attacks and preventing death as stenting in these patients -- without the risks of a surgical procedure. Stenting and bypass surgery should be used only in patients for whom medication fails to adequately control chest pain. CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY About 20% of all strokes are related to blockages in the carotid arteries in the neck. With a procedure known as carotid endarterectomy, the blockages are surgically peeled away to improve circulation to the brain and potentially prevent a stroke. Problem: Severe carotid blockages (generally blockage of 80% or more) occasionally can lead to "ministrokes" -- transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which often precede a full-blown stroke. But if a person has a severe obstruction and no TIA symptoms, the likelihood of having a major stroke is very small. Performing a carotid endarterectomy in those people decreases the chance of having a stroke by only 0.7%. Who is helped by carotid endarterectomy: People with severe carotid blockage and TIAs have a 13% risk of having a disabling stroke over the next two years. When a carotid endarterectomy is performed, the risk drops to 2.5%. Who isn’t helped by carotid endarterectomy: People with a blockage of less than 60% -- even if they have a history of ministrokes. In this group, the risk for stroke is higher after surgery -- perhaps because the risk of stroke-producing plaque being dislodged during the operation may exceed the patient’s initial stroke risk. In groups of people with severe obstruction and no TIA symptoms, more than 140 endarterectomies must be performed to prevent one stroke. For obstructions of 60% to 79%, there is no convincing scientific evidence for surgery. Nonsurgical treatment, including the use of aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs, is preferable in all of these cases. PROSTATECTOMY About 180,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and about 30,000 die from the disease. Surgical removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) often is recommended, but risks include infection, impotence and incontinence. Problem: The majority of prostate cancers grow slowly. Most men with the disease would eventually die from an unrelated condition -- even if the prostate cancer weren’t treated. In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, older men with early prostate cancer who were treated with prostatectomy died at about the same rate as older men with similar cancers who had no surgery. Who is helped by prostatectomy: Men who are in their 50s and younger with biopsy findings that show an aggressive form of prostate cancer are generally candidates for prostatectomy. Who isn’t helped by prostatectomy: Men whose life expectancy is less than 10 years at the time of diagnosis. They’re less likely than younger men to die of their cancer and face a high risk for surgical complications. Older men with prostate cancer often do better with hormone therapy and/or radiation. BACK SURGERY Surgery for a herniated (ruptured) disk is among the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures in the US. Problem: A herniated disk that presses on a nerve can be excruciatingly painful. But in 80% to 90% of cases, enzymes secreted by the body break down disk material and the nerve pain disappears in time. This can take many months, so surgery promises faster relief. Disk surgery, however, has serious potential risks, including nerve injuries, buildups of scar tissue, infection and chronic back pain. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared the long-term outcomes of back patients who had surgery with those who didn’t. The likelihood of recovery was virtually the same. Who is helped by back surgery: People with severe, intractable back pain that radiates into a leg (sciatica) or those with a progressive neurological deficit, such as foot weakness, or a loss of bowel or bladder control, which indicates compression of a spinal nerve, require prompt surgical treatment. Who isn’t helped by back surgery: People whose only symptom is low back pain. Studies have shown that individuals with local symptoms do better with nonsurgical treatment, including anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture, massage therapy and physical therapy. For most people with mild sciatica, the pain usually disappears within a few months as the disk breaks down. KNEE REPAIR You shouldn’t assume that you need surgery if you suddenly develop pain, inflammation and swelling in one or both knees. Sometimes the pain is from a medical problem such as gout or Lyme disease. Problem: Even with knee injuries, many surgeons want to repair or remove damaged tissue without waiting enough time to see if normal healing will take place. Who is helped by knee surgery: People in whom a ligament or tendon is completely severed. For these patients, the knee will rarely heal well enough on its own to restore adequate function and reduce pain. For people who engage in intensive sports, arthroscopic surgery (using a "keyhole" incision) for lesser injuries often is recommended since they may not be willing to wait for healing to occur. Who isn’t helped by knee surgery: For most people with knee injuries, surgery -- even arthroscopic -- is the last resort. First, rest the leg, use anti-inflammatory drugs and try physical therapy and braces. Follow this approach for at least one to two months before considering knee surgery. Bottom Line/Health interviewed Dennis Gottfried, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, and a general internist with a private practice in Torrington, Connecticut. He is the author of Too Much Medicine (Paragon House). www.DrDennisGottfried.com  Arthritis Abolished in Minutes by Doctor's Astonishing Speed Cure Favorite Finds at the 2010 Fancy Food Show Linda Gassenheimer Looking for something new and delicious? The annual Fancy Food Show previews food trends and new products. My favorites... INDIAN Flavors Mild Indian Curry Ketchup produced by Dulcet is a tomato-based sauce with curry flavors, including cinnamon, fennel, garlic, onion and cayenne pepper. Pour it on meats, fish or vegetables. $6 per 14-ounce bottle. www.DulcetCuisine.com Indian Cashew and Cream Cooking Sauce by Stonehouse 27. Sauté meat, fish, poultry or vegetables in this spicy, creamy sauce. It’s made with all-natural ingredients with no added sugar and no trans fats. $6.49 per 12-ounce jar. www.StoneHouse27.com Dave’s Gourmet Masala Marinara. This has the flavors of a classic marinara, plus coconut, lime and garam masala (a combination of Indian spices). Great on rice, pasta, meat or vegetables. $7.99 per 25.5-ounce jar. www.DavesGourmet.com Good-For-You Gourmet Multi-Seed Crackers by Crunchmaster -- low in sodium and saturated fat -- are wheat-free/gluten-free because they are made with brown rice. They make a great snack alone or served with a dip. $3.09 per 4.5-ounce bag. www.CrunchMaster.com Baked Lentil Chips. These chips are made with bean flour (lentil, adzuki and garbanzo beans). They’re gluten-free and a good source of protein and fiber. $4.35 per 4.5-ounce bag. www.MediterraneanSnackFoods.com Raw Green Bush Tea is caffeine-free and organic. It is processed at a very low heat (under 115°F), giving it the raw label. This preserves the natural enzymes, delivering twice the amount of beneficial polyphenols. $10 per tin with 36 tea bags. www.RepublicOfTea.com Ginger ’Gizer is an all-natural beverage, with no additives. Its kick comes from concentrated ginger. Serve hot or cold. $1.99 per 12 ounces, $4 per 32 ounces. www.GingerPeople.com FIG-licious Petite Maison Fig and Pear with Orange Compote has whole pieces of pear and orange blended with fig to make a chunky fruit compote. Serve it over goat cheese, yogurt or ice cream. $7.50 per 8.4-ounce jar. www.WildlyDelicious.com Fruit of the Land Fig Cabernet Preserve is a combination of figs and cabernet sauvignon. Serve with cheese or on croissants. $9.99 per 8.8-ounce jar. www.FruitOfTheLand.com Eco-Friendly Help women coffee growers when you buy this fair-trade, organic coffee from Kaffé Magnum Opus. Part of the proceeds go to a social program to help women growers in Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. $9.25 per pound (5.5-lb. bag minimum). www.KMOCoffee.com Lighting a charcoal grill is safer and more eco-friendly with Firelighters by If You Care. There’s no kerosene or paraffin (which release carcinogenic formaldehyde) in these wood-and-oil-impregnated squares. The wood comes from sustainably managed forests. $6.19 per 72-piece bag (two-bag minimum). www.IfYouCare.com Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Linda Gassenheimer is an award-winning author of several cookbooks, most recently, Mix 'n' Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes (American Diabetes Association) and The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight (DK Adult). She writes a syndicated newspaper column, "Dinner in Minutes." www.DinnerInMinutes.com Delicious 'Wonder Drug' for High Blood Pressure Praised by Harvard Researchers Important: Help your friends get much more out of life -- forward this E-letter to them. Better: Send it to many friends and your whole family. This is a free weekly e-mail service of BottomLineSecrets.com and Boardroom Inc. Boardroom Inc. 281 Tresser Boulevard Stamford, CT 06901-3229 ATTN: Web Team You received this e-mail because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Disclaimer: Bottom Line Secrets publishes the opinions of expert authorities in many fields. But the use of these opinions is no substitute for legal, accounting, investment, medical and other professional services to suit your specific personal needs. Always consult a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. 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