Episode
Do Less, Heal More: The Case for Medical Conservatism (with John Mandrola)
EconTalk · Jun 29, 2026 · 1 h 00 min
What if the surgery that fixed your knee did no better than fake surgery? EconTalk host Russ Roberts speaks with Dr. John Mandrola about a striking clinical trial in which patients who received sham knee surgery (a real incision, but no actual repair) did as well or better than those who had the actual procedure--one performed 700,000 times annually in the U.S. The conversation ranges from the…