Invasive Procedures with Unproven Efficiency

This chapter summarizes several preceding articles on invasive procedures applied with questionable clinical indications in the former Soviet Union: mastectomy with the removal of muscles, cauterization of endocervical ectopies independently of the presence of epithelial dysplasia, parabulbar injections of placebos, questionable surgical treatments of gastroduodenal ulcers, diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis, overuse of endoscopic methods, manual therapy with special reference to the cervical spine, some questionable strategies applied in alcoholism. Among factors contributing to the use of invasive procedures with unproven efficiency have been the partial isolation from international scientific community, disregard for the principles of informed consent and scientific polemics. It is known that invasive procedures can exert a placebo effect. By definition, placebo must be harmless. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.