The facilities we partner with provide comprehensive orthopedic care, with the full array of trauma and fracture surgeries
Brief description of the selected procedures has been acquired from http://medlineplus.gov
Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Also called: Knee arthroplasty
Knee replacement is surgery for people with severe knee damage. Knee replacement can relieve pain and allow you to be more active. Your doctor may recommend it if you have knee pain and medicine and other treatments are no longer providing relief.
When you have a total knee replacement, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of your knee joint and replaces them with a man-made surface of metal and plastic. In a partial knee replacement, the surgeon only replaces one part of your knee joint. You can find more information about the procedure at http://medlineplus.gov
Rotator Cuff Repair
 Rotator cuff repair is a type of surgery to fix a torn tendon in the shoulder. The procedure can be done with a large ("open") incision or with shoulder arthroscopy, which uses small button-hole sized incisions.
Rotator cuff repair may be recommended for shoulder problems such as: pain, especially using the arm overhead, weakness and a bone spur or inflammation around the rotator cuff. You can find more information about the procedure at http://medlineplus.gov.
 Knee Ligaments Repair and Reconstruction
For severe collateral ligament tears, you may need surgery to sew the ligament back together. The only option for completely torn ACL and PCL is a reconstruction. In this procedure, tendons are taken from other parts of your leg and connected to the thigh and shin bone to replace the broken ligament. Sometimes, the tendons can be taken from a donor. You can find more information about the procedure at http://medlineplus.gov.
Total Hip Replacement
Doctors recommend joint replacement surgery when hip pain and loss of function become severe, and medications and other treatments no longer relieve pain. Your doctor will use X-rays to look at the bones and cartilage in your hip to see whether they are damaged and to make sure that the pain isn't coming from somewhere else.
Total joint replacement involves surgery to replace the ends of both bones in a damaged joint to create new joint surfaces. Total hip replacement surgery replaces the upper end of the thighbone (femur) with a metal ball and resurfaces the hip socket in the pelvic bone with a metal shell and plastic liner. The results of hip prosthesis surgery are usually excellent. The operation relieves pain and stiffness, and most patients (over 80%) need no help walking.
 What to Expect After Surgery
Right after surgery
You will receive intravenous (IV) antibiotics for about a day after surgery. You will also be given medications to control pain, and perhaps medications to prevent blood clots (anticoagulants). It is not unusual to have an upset stomach or feel constipated after surgery. Talk with your doctor or nurse if you feel ill.
When you wake up from surgery, you may have a catheter, which is a small tube connected to your bladder, so you don't have to get out of bed to urinate. You may also have a compression pump or compression stocking on your leg, which squeezes your leg to keep the blood circulating and to help prevent blood clots, and a cushion between your legs to keep your new hip in the correct position.
Your health professional may teach you to do simple breathing exercises to help prevent congestion in your lungs while your activity level is decreased. You may also learn to move your feet up and down to flex your muscles and keep your blood circulating, and begin to learn about how to keep your hip in the correct positions while you move in bed and get out of bed.
The first few days
You will probably still be taking some medications. You will gradually take less and less pain medication. You may continue anticoagulant medications for several weeks after surgery.
Rehabilitation (rehab) after hip replacement surgery may vary depending on whether the surgeon used cement or cementless methods to attach the joint replacement surfaces. Whether your surgeon used cement also determines how much weight you can put on your leg. Your surgeon will let you and your rehab team know what limitations you have. Usually, you cannot put any weight on an uncemented hip for about 6 weeks. With a cemented or hybrid (one piece cemented and one piece uncemented) hip, you can usually put some weight on your leg right away, but you'll still need a walker, a cane, or crutches for several weeks.
In general, most people get out of bed with help on the day after surgery. Over the next few days, you will learn how to walk with a walker or crutches. Your physical therapist and possible an occupational therapist will teach you how to exercise, walk, and engage in activities such as dressing and cooking while you allow your hip to heal. You will learn the following important precautions to keep your hip from dislocating:
- Your hip should not bend more than 90 degrees.
- Do not sit on low chairs, beds, or toilets. You may want to get a special raiser for your toilet seat temporarily.
- Do not raise your knee higher than your hip.
- Do not lean forward while you are sitting down, or as you sit down or stand up
- Do not bend over more than 90 degrees; this means you can't bend down to tie your shoes for a while.
- For about 8 weeks, your leg should not cross the center of your body toward the other leg.
- Do not cross your legs.
- Be careful as you get in or out of bed or a car, so your leg does not cross that imaginary line in the middle of your body.
- Your leg should not rotate in or too far out.
- Keep your toes pointing forward or slightly out.
Most people go home within a few days to a week after surgery. Some people who need more extensive rehab or those who don't have someone who can help at home go to a specialized rehab center for more treatment.
Continued recovery
 Once you go home, monitor the surgery site and your general health. If you notice any redness or drainage from your wound, notify your surgeon. You may also be advised to take your temperature twice each day, and to let your surgeon know if you have a fever over 100.5 F.
For a while, you may need to sit only in high chairs (not on low seats that flex your hip more than 90 degrees), use a toilet seat raiser, and sleep on your back.
You may need to use a walker or crutches for several weeks after surgery until you can bear your full weight, have less pain, and can safely move around without falling. How long you need to use crutches or a walker depends on the condition of your bones and what type of procedure your doctor used, as well as his or her experience working with other people who had similar surgery.
Physical therapy generally continues after you go home from the hospital until you are able to function more independently. Total rehabilitation after surgery will take at least 6 months.
You will have an exercise program to follow when you go home, even if you are still having physical therapy. You should also take a short walk several times each day. If you notice any soreness, try a cold pack on your hip and perhaps decrease your activity a bit, but don't stop completely. Sticking to your walking and exercise program will help speed your recovery.
 Living with a hip replacement
Your health professional will probably want to see you at least once every year to monitor your hip replacement. Gradually, you will return to most of your pre-surgery activities. If you drive a car, your health professional will probably allow you to start driving an automatic shift car in 6 to 8 weeks, provided the seat is not too low and you are no longer taking pain medication.
For more information you can visit http://arthritis.webmd.com/Hip-replacement-surgery
Elbow Replacement
Alternative names: elbow arthroplasty, endoprosthetic elbow replacement
Elbow replacement surgery can be performed when the patient's joint has been severely damaged. Elbow replacement is surgery to replace the bones that make up the elbow joint with artificial joint parts (prosthetic components). The patient may stay in the hospital for up to 3 - 4 days. A splint may be used after surgery to help stabilize the elbow. Elbow replacement surgery relieves pain for most patients.
For more information you can visit http://medlineplus.gov |
