Frequently Asked Questions
An orthopedic surgeon, or orthopaedic surgeon, is a surgeon who has been educated and trained in the diagnosis and preoperative, operative, and postoperative treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
If im experiencing any type of pain in ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, or back, should I consider seeing an orthopaedic surgeon?
Yes , some of the Symptoms that you need to visit a orthopaedic surgeon may include any of the following:
- Difficulty using that particular body part to perform daily functions (e.g., walking up the stairs or carrying grocery bags)
- Pain in muscles, tendons, or joints that persists for more than a few days
- Joint pain that becomes more intense during periods of rest
- Swelling or bruising around the joint or the location of an injury
- Limited range of motion, such as an inability to straighten the back
- Joint deformity
- Signs of infection including heat, inflammation, fever, and/or redness
- Any unusual symptoms in the pain region
Arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint. This is due to inflammation of the joint lining called synovium, which results in joint swelling and causes pain and stiffness as the main symptoms.
Patients with Arthritis may experience the following symptoms: pain and swelling of one or more joints, feel stiffness in the joints - more in the morning, redness and warmth of the affected joints and these symptoms van be recurrent or persistent.
It is a disease of the cartilage- the soft material between the bones of a joint. The loss of this cartilage results in changes at the joint. This is seen generally in older individuals, with symptoms starting only after 45 to 50 years of age.
A genetic predisposition is the most important risk factor. Other factors that may impact osteoarthritis are: Obesity, Mechanical/surgical trauma to a joint, Excessive use of a joint such as with impact sports or ballet dancers.
Exercise is important to maintain the flexibility, range of movement at the joint and to strengthen the muscles. However, exercise will not reduce joint inflammation and usually should be started, only after effective control of inflammation with proper therapy.
As each individual's case may be different, your orthopedic surgeon or family physician is the best person to answer your questions. The information below is very general in nature and must not be considered medical advice.
- Why is this operation necessary? Answer: Your family doctor has referred you to an orthopaedic surgeon, because of pain from your hip or knee and increasing disability. Joint-replacement surgery remains the best option for end-stage arthritis after other non-operative treatment has failed. The benefit of this type of surgery is it will decrease your pain and increase your mobility in an effort to regain your personal independence.
- What happens during hip replacement surgery? Answer: HIP: An incision is made down the side of your hip. The hip is a ball and socket joint. The socket in the pelvis is prepared for a replacement cup, the head of the femur bone is removed and a new head and stem are placed inside the femur. The two parts come together as a replacement hip joint. The incision is closed with staples or stitches. KNEE: An incision is made down the front or side of your knee to expose the bottom of the femur and the top of the tibia (shin bone). The damaged joint is removed and an artificial knee is placed on the tibia, femur and patella (knee cap). The incision is closed with staples or stitches.
- How long will the operation take? Answer: First-time hip surgery takes about two hours knee surgery is approximately the same amount of time.
- How long does it take to recover from total hip or knee replacement? Answer: The stitches or surgical staples come out after two weeks. Wound healing usually takes another four weeks.
- What can I do while I'm waiting for surgery? Answer: You can take a number of steps to make life easier during recovery: Most important, do any strengthening exercises that were prescribed at the surgeon meeting or pre-surgical clinic. The fitter the joint muscles, the faster the recovery time in rehab. Treat any respiratory or dental infections ahead of time to improve your healing after joint replacement. Make a few simple changes around the house to reduce the risk of falls, as well as limit the amount of reaching and stair climbing you'll have to do. If you're a smoker, try to stop or cut down to improve your surgery risks and recovery rate. There is strong evidence that smoking hampers bone-healing because it constricts blood vessels.