"I went to Orthosist hoping they'd tell me I didn't need surgery. They didn't. They told me I did — and that honesty is rare."
— Sushma Agarwal, 67 · Sector 50, Noida
Why Sushma's story matters
If Orthosist were a hospital, it would want every patient to think they don't need surgery — so we could sell them the 3-month program. We deliberately built our model so we have nothing to lose from telling the truth either way. About 40% of our verdicts confirm that surgery IS the right answer.
Sushma's story is one of those.
Before Orthosist
"I had been suffering with both knees for almost 6 years. Started as Grade 1 osteoarthritis. I tried everything — physio at three different places, Ayurveda for 8 months, homeopathy, knee braces. Some helped a little, none lasted."
"By 2024 I couldn't walk to the kitchen without holding furniture. My right knee gave way one morning and I fell. That's when my son started looking seriously at knee replacement. Three orthopedic surgeons in Noida all said yes, both knees needed it. Quotes ranged from ₹5 to ₹7.5 lakh."
"I didn't want surgery. I'm 67, I was scared of the recovery. My daughter-in-law found Orthosist online. I told her — bhej do, maybe they'll say I don't need it after all."
The Orthosist Council Verdict
Diagnosis: Bilateral knee osteoarthritis, Grade 4 right (severe), Grade 3 left (advanced). Significant joint space loss. Bone-on-bone right knee.
Surgery required? Yes — TKR is genuinely indicated for right knee. Left knee can be staged or done simultaneously based on surgeon preference.
Reasoning: Disease progression is past the conservative-care threshold. Multiple failed trials of structured physio over 6 years. Patient has bone-on-bone right knee — the function loss is mechanical, not muscular. Surgery is the right answer at this stage.
Recommended next steps: List of 3 credentialled, high-volume surgeons in Delhi NCR with track records for 65+ patients. Pre-op physio strengthening protocol (4 weeks). Post-op rehab plan.
What I expected vs. what happened
"I cried when I read the report. I'd really wanted them to tell me I didn't need surgery. But within an hour I felt differently — because for the first time in 6 years, someone had given me a real reason. Bone on bone. No more cartilage. The decision wasn't 'doctor said so' anymore. It was 'this is what's happening inside my knee'."
"They sent me three surgeon options with their case volumes and outcomes. We picked one in Delhi. Orthosist's physio team did 4 weeks of pre-op work with me at home — I went into the OT stronger than I'd been in 2 years."
"The surgery was 8 weeks ago. Right knee done. Recovery has been smooth because we'd pre-strengthened. The physios who'd been doing my pre-op continued the post-op rehab. I'm walking 1 km a day already."
"Orthosist had zero financial reason to tell me I needed surgery — they don't earn anything from it. That's exactly why I trust their verdict more than any surgeon's."
- • Senior Orthopedic Surgeon, MS Ortho (Joint Replacement specialty)
- • Pain Management Specialist
- • Senior Physiotherapist, MPT (Ortho), with TKR rehab experience
- • Ayurveda Practitioner, BAMS
- • Free Council Assessment
- • Pre-op Strengthening Package (4 weeks)
- • Post-op Rehab Package (12 weeks)
- • Surgeon referral (no commission charged)
Honesty about needing surgery is rare in Indian healthcare. So is honesty about NOT needing it.
We do both. Free written verdict, in 48 hours.
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