Orthopedic Surgery

Total Joint Replacement

Sometimes the best way to relieve pain and restore function to a joint is to replace all or part of it with a prosthesis (an artificial joint). Prostheses are intended to restore function to the joint and relieve pain associated with arthritis, other chronic conditions, or traumatic injury.

Prostheses are designed to move like a regular joint. They are made of durable plastic and metal parts that fit together snugly but glide smoothly (as opposed to the painful friction associated with the worn cartilage of arthritic joints). The pieces are shaped like the structures they replace – for example, the damaged bones in a ball-and-socket joint of a hip or shoulder are replaced with a metal ball and plastic socket. They are held to the surrounding bone either with a locking mechanism or with a special bone cement.

The length and difficulty of recovery depend on the location of the joint replaced as well as the patient’s age and overall health. Hip or knee surgery typically requires temporary use of a cane or walker. Some pain and stiffness following surgery is normal. Gradually the weakened muscles regain strength and flexibility as the patient becomes accustomed to using the joint. The physician will discuss when it is safe to return to any athletic activities. Once in place, prostheses usually perform well for up to a decade or longer.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows doctors to examine tissues inside the knee. It is often performed to confirm a diagnosis made after a physical examination and other imaging tests such as MRI, CT or X-rays.

During an arthroscopic procedure, a thin fiberoptic light, magnifying lens and tiny television camera are inserted into the knee, allowing your doctor to examine the joint in great detail.

For some patients, it is then possible to treat the problem using a few additional instruments inserted through small incisions around the joint. Sports injuries are often repairable with arthroscopy. Knee injuries that are frequently treated using arthroscopic techniques include meniscal tears, mild arthritis, loose bone or cartilage, ACL and PCL tears, synovitis (swelling of the joint lining) and patellar (knee cap) misalignment.

Because it is minimally invasive, arthroscopy offers many benefits to the patient over traditional surgery. These include:

No cutting of muscles or tendons
Less bleeding during surgery
Less scarring
Smaller incisions
Faster recovery and return to regular activities
Faster and more comfortable rehabilitation

Arthroscopy is not appropriate for every patient. Your doctor will discuss the options that are best for you.

Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

A shoulder arthroscopy, also known as a shoulder scope, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows surgeons to operate through tiny incisions with the aid of a camera.

Shoulder scope surgery can be used to treat:

Rotator cuff tears
Labral tears
Impingement syndrome
Biceps tendonitis
AC joint arthritis

While shoulder scope is less invasive than traditional open shoulder surgery, it also provides a smaller field of vision for the surgeon. Therefore, it is important to talk to your doctor to decide which type of surgery is best for you.

Hand and Wrist Surgery

Surgery can restore function, relieve pain and improve the appearance of the hands and wrists for patients suffering from cysts, nerve conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, injuries, birth defects (e.g. webbed or extra fingers) or other problems.

Spinal Surgery

Spine surgery can relieve pain and correct injury to the nerves in the back when non-invasive methods are ineffective or inappropriate. Surgery may be performed to remove discs; to treat diseases and disorders such as Arnold Chiari-Malformation, syringomyelia and spinal stenosis; and to correct spinal fractures, injuries, cysts, tumors, herniated cords and other painful or harmful conditions.

Discectomy – Performed to correct a herniated disc, the most common cause of lower back pain. The soft material in the disc is removed to restore proper shape and relieve pressure on the nerve.

Laminectomy and Laminotomy – Removal of the lamina (small bony plate on each vertebra) to relieve pressure on the nerve that causes back pain in patients suffering from stenosis.

Spinal Fusion - Bone is grafted onto the spine that grows and heals to provide strength and stabilization following injury or disease.

Recent advances in medical technology have made possible minimally invasive spinal surgery, in which the entire procedure is performed through small incisions with the aid of an endoscope (a thin instrument with a tiny camera on the tip). Minimally invasive surgery offers a number of benefits over traditional surgery, including less post-operative discomfort, smaller scars and a shorter recovery time. This type of surgery is not appropriate for all conditions, but may be performed to treat scoliosis and herniated discs and to aid in spinal fusion.




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