Editorial Commentary: Surgeons Should Not “Underpromise” to “Overdeliver”: High Preoperative Patient Expectations Correlate With Improved Orthopaedic Surgical Outcomes

Abstract

Despite our understanding of patient-specific, anatomic, and surgical factors that can influence surgical outcomes, there remains a significant amount of variability in patient satisfaction and outcome after any orthopaedic surgical procedure. This variability is in large part due to psychosocial factors. There is a growing volume of literature demonstrating the importance of psychosocial factors to include anxiety, depression, attitudinal factors, expectations, patientperceived control, self-efficacy, knowledge, and expectations. Many of these factors are modifiable, and it is critical that we as providers understand the depth and breadth of these psychosocial factors, and their influence, on our patient's surgical outcomes. Surgeons should not "underpromise" to "overdeliver," because high preoperative patient expectations have a positive predictive value for improved orthopaedic surgical outcomes.