Surgery in Maine

You may not think so, but often it does. For example, in some Maine communities, surgeons are far more likely to operate to remove a woman’s uterus (hysterectomy) for non-cancerous conditions than in other communities. This is true for other treatments and surgeries as well.

Quality is about doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time. Variation allows us to look at how well we are doing the right thing at the right time.

If you are thinking about having surgery we recommend that you:

• Discuss outcomes and complications with your surgeon and primary care doctor
• Get a second opinion and discuss it with your primary care doctor
• Discuss your choice of hospital with your primary care doctor
• Visit our “how to choose a specialist” page

Some surgeries are done more often than usual in some towns. Clicking on a surgery below will take you to charts showing those operations that vary a lot. If you are in a town listed in the chart we recommend strongly that you get a second opinion. We also recommend a second opinion whenever you have concern about your decision or your doctor’s recommendation. A second opinion may help you decide whether or not to have surgery. It may also help you feel better about your decision. Remember, your physicians should want to discuss your options with you.

Surgery Name	Surgery Explained	Communities Showing Most Variation
Spinal Fusion	Surgically connecting bones in the lower back to treat chronic back pain	Lewiston
Carotid Endarterectomy	An operation to remove fatty deposits that could cause a stroke from a large blood vessel to the brain.	Caribou-Van Buren Presque Isle Fort Kent Fort Fairfield
Cervical Disc Surgery	Removal by surgery of part of a disc or all of a disc to treat arm and neck pain	Lewiston Augusta
Hysterectomies for non cancer conditions	Removal of the uterus (womb) for non life threatening conditions	Belfast Skowhegan Caribou-Van Buren Lincoln Millinocket Waterville Pittsfield Calais
Total Knee Replacement	Replacement of a worn out knee with a metal and plastic artificial knee	Greenville Bangor
Total Hip Replacement	Replacement of a worn out hip with a metal and plastic artificial hip	Greenville Millinocket Rumford
Lumbar Disc Surgery without fusion	Removal of part of a disc or cushion between vertebrae in the lower back to stop leg pain	Augusta Millinocket Rockland