Orthopedic problems can make it difficult for you to participate and enjoy your everyday activities. Your doctor may recommend a selection of treatments, but if all non-surgical treatments fail, surgery is the next step.
Still, it is best to do some research before agreeing to any type of surgery. There are numerous surgical procedures available. However, the following are the top orthopedic surgeries that are changing people’s lives:
Joint Replacement Surgery
This type of surgery helps patients who are suffering from chronic joint pain or limited joint mobility. Joint replacement surgery can assist you in restoring your health and returning to your normal activities without pain. These orthopedic surgeries can be life-changing for patients who have been experiencing chronic pain.
Here are the types of joint replacement surgery:
Total Joint Replacement
This type of joint replacement surgery is minimally invasive. It is recommended for people who experience severe injury to the knee, hip, or shoulder. It also works for advanced arthritis.
During this procedure, your surgeon will remove part or all of the damaged joint. To relieve pain and improve mobility, the damaged joint will be replaced with an artificial implant.
Because only smaller incisions are required, you only need to stay at the hospital for a short time. The recovery is also faster than traditional joint replacement surgery.
Hip Replacement
Conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteonecrosis damage the hip joint, making it necessary to get hip replacement surgery. The procedure is helpful when you have pain that is:
- Persistent despite medication
- Interfering with your sleep
- Preventing you from going up or down the stairs
- Making it difficult to rise from sitting
Anterior hip replacement is a minimally invasive technique that replaces a damaged or diseased hip. The procedure involves implanting a hip prosthesis.
This surgery does not split the muscles supporting the joint. Hence, it allows faster recovery and fewer post-surgical restrictions on your activity. There is also reduced risk of dislocations, pain, and scarring. Patients can start rehabilitation sooner and recover faster.
On the other hand, partial hip replacement or hemiarthroplasty involves the replacement of only the femoral head and not the socket. This is an option when older patients who sustained a hip fracture have a healthy socket.
Knee Replacement
The knee is important because it supports the body’s weight and helps with movement and walking. However, it is also the most commonly injured joint.
Also called arthroplasty, knee replacement surgery can help restore function and relieve pain from severely diseased knee joints. If you feel knee pain at rest or have problems walking and going up the stairs, you might consider knee replacement surgery. Your doctor will assess your knee’s strength, stability, and range of motion to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure.
The two options for knee replacement are partial and robotic. Your surgeon may suggest partial knee replacement if there is damage to one or two knee compartments. This is advised when other treatments such as injections, medications, and physical therapies have failed.
During this surgery, your doctor will remove the damaged tissue, resurface the existing areas, and implant artificial parts. Patients lose less blood and experience less pain during this surgery than total knee replacement.
Meanwhile, robotic knee surgery is a state-of-the-art procedure that involves a customized 3D representation of your knee and robotic assistance during surgery. Mechanical instruments are more precise and have better control. Thus, robotic knee surgery provides an accurate fit of prosthetic implants and produces a better long-term outcome.
Reverse Shoulder Replacement
During this surgery, your doctor will switch the position of the joint’s ball and socket. Then, they will use a prosthetic ball to replace it by attaching the joint to the shoulder blade. This allows you to have a stabilized shoulder joint and pain-free function and motion.
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy allows your doctor to see, diagnose, and treat the problems in the:
- Shoulder
- Elbow
- Wrist
- Hip
- Knee
- Ankle
It is less invasive than traditional surgery methods, because it only requires small cuts about the size of a buttonhole. Your surgeon will insert a narrow tube attached to the fiber-optic video camera through the cut. Patients who undergo arthroscopy get a faster recovery time and have a reduced risk of infection.
Orthopedic Surgery in Springfield, MA
Say goodbye to pain and disrupted activities! It’s time to consider orthopedic surgery.
At Advanced Orthopedics New England, rest assured you can get an individualized treatment plan to suit your needs. We will specifically design the best course of treatment for fast and lasting healing.
Call the clinic nearest you in Bloomfield, Enfield, Rocky Hill, Springfield, or Vernon to request an appointment. We look forward to serving you!
