Orthopedic Surgery Miami
When you’re struggling with severe discomfort, it may be time to consider orthopedic surgery to help you overcome injuries that won’t heal on their own. Orthopedic surgery provides various treatment options to help with medical conditions that require a more intensive treatment approach. Your condition may be a chronic issue, an unexpected injury that requires urgent care, or even congenital issues that deeply impact your health. To better understand your medical condition, meet with orthopedic doctors who can diagnose your pain or injury and determine a direction for your recovery. Work with a team that has years of experience and specialized orthopedic training. All of our team members are certified medical professionals with advanced degrees. Our Miami orthopedic surgeons have an established track record of treating disorders unique to their specialty. Schedule an initial consultation with a Miami doctor to learn more about your orthopedic condition. Call Ceda Orthopedic Group today.
What is the most common surgery for an orthopedic surgeon?
Joint replacement is the most common surgery performed by orthopedic surgeons. Joint replacement surgery removes the original joint and replaces it with an artificial prosthetic. Knee, hip, and shoulder replacements are the most common. Around 1.52% of individuals in the U.S. received total knee replacements, while 0.83% received total hip replacements. These surgeries are more common among men than women. Approximately 4.7 million individuals received total knee replacement, and 2.5 million individuals received a total hip replacement.
Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement surgery is most commonly performed to help reduce severe pain often caused by osteoarthritis. This is for individuals who have difficulty walking, standing, climbing stairs, and other activities that require knee flexibility. Knee replacement surgery is usually recommended when more conservative approaches don’t completely work. Intermediate treatments include steroid injections, physiotherapy, and other non-invasive treatments. Total knee replacement involves removing damaged bone or cartilage from the kneecap, shin, and thigh. The joint is then replaced with a prosthetic comprised of high-grade plastics, polymers, and metal alloys.
Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery treats injuries that can also cause inflammation, damage, and severe pain to the hip joint. Hip fractures, osteonecrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and tumors in the hip joint are some of the many reasons you may require hip replacement surgery. The surgical team removes the damaged cartilage and bone so that prosthetic components can replace them. Next, the surgeon removes the damaged femoral head of the thigh bone, and in its place, they implant a metal stem in the hollow center of the femur bone.
Shoulder Joint Replacement
Shoulder joint replacement surgery reduces pain and improves mobility in the shoulder joint. This procedure is commonly reserved for osteoarthritis, which prevents the joint from moving smoothly due to damaged cartilage. It can help improve the ability to lift heavy items, perform normal tasks such as opening or closing doors, and enhance a full range of movement in the arms. This treatment method can greatly benefit individuals who do yoga, tennis, golf, or swimming. Typically, shoulder replacement surgery involves the removal of the damaged humeral head, which is replaced by a metal ball. The glenoid cavity is also replaced with a smooth plastic cup that mimics the joint socket.
Unicompartmental Knee Replacement
Unicompartmental knee replacement surgery is helpful for individuals who do not see any results for more non-invasive procedures. This differs from total knee replacement surgery because it only replaces part of the knee. A partial knee replacement surgery reduces the amount of blood loss, has a lower incidence of blood clots and bacterial infections, requires less time to recover, and is less painful. With this surgery, orthopedic surgeons leave behind the healthy part of the knee and remove the damaged parts. This knee surgery is recommended for significant knee stiffness, ligament damage, and inflammatory arthritis.
Reverse Shoulder Replacement
Reverse shoulder replacement surgery helps patients with shoulder joint damage caused by rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. It is commonly used for rotator cuff tears or damage that can’t be repaired with other methods. When there is friction between the shoulder’s ball and socket, it can lead to joint instability, also known as rotator cuff arthropathy. Reverse shoulder replacement is often recommended for those who are partially or fully paralyzed or are unable to move their shoulder. If traditional shoulder replacement surgery has failed, the doctor may recommend reverse shoulder replacement. In this procedure, the ball and socket parts of the shoulder joint are switched in reverse, and a prosthetic is installed to improve shoulder movement.
Total Elbow Replacement
Total elbow replacement surgery may be recommended if the arm is so severely damaged, causing terrible pain. Some reasons that you may need total elbow replacement surgery include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or if you had a poor outcome after the last elbow surgery you received. A severe fracture due to trauma or an overuse injury may also require total elbow replacement. A surgeon makes an incision toward the back of your elbow and then replaces the damaged tissue of the arm bones up to where the elbow joint is located. After a drill is used to make a hole in the center of the arm bone, the end of the artificial joint is then attached to each bone to create a hinge. The tissue then heals around the new joint.
Wrist Joint Replacement
Wrist joint replacement surgery alleviates pain and improves the ability to move the wrist and hand. Typically, patients suffering from osteoarthritis may need this surgery to repair the gradual degradation of cartilage around the wrist bones. It can also be used for injuries caused by the twisting of the wrist, slip and fall injuries, swelling, and clicking joints. Wrist joint replacement surgery uses a prosthetic implant made from two metal and plastic components to replace radial and distal components of the wrist bones. This will help improve movement in the metacarpal, carpal, and other bones to create a functional range of movement.
What is the most difficult surgery for an orthopedic?
Many variables determine the difficulty of the surgery, but among the most difficult types of surgery for an orthopedic surgeon involves a complex reconstruction that also involves removing existing hardware. This is when old hardware that is implanted in the body needs to be removed because the previous surgery was a failure or the body has started to reject the existing hardware. Because the reconstruction of damaged joints is time-consuming and difficult to correct across surgical or congenital deformities, this is an extremely difficult process. In some circumstances, it is necessary to remove the metal implants — parts that should be removed to allow additional surgery.
Hardware removal is complicated because of:
Potential Damage
When a doctor removes an implant, there is the risk of damaging the muscles and tissues in the body that are surrounding the bone and implant. Soft tissues that grow in and around implants make them more difficult to remove.
Weakening Bones
Because little implants are often secured within the bone, removing them in the bone scan weakens it. This may require the surgeon to remove screws from the bone. The plates can also leave the bones deformed when removed.
Infection
There is always the possibility of infection, which could happen when removing hardware. Although, this is rare when the surgery is being performed by an experienced team.
Implant Can’t Be Removed
In the worst-case scenario, it may be too difficult to remove an implant because it’s hard to locate, it’s stuck in place, or the implant breaks. In some cases, the damage to the soft tissue of normal bone is not worth removing the implant and it may be necessary to leave it in place.
What is the difference between doctors and surgeons in this field?
Orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic doctors are both physicians that specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of musculoskeletal problems that impact the soft tissues and bones within the body. An orthopedic surgeon, however, has the ability to perform all the tasks that an orthopedic doctor can, but they are also able to perform surgical procedures. Orthopedic doctors can diagnose, provide follow-up treatments, and additional care necessary for the treatment of a medical disorder, but they’re unable to perform surgery. The surgeon will perform invasive procedures on the hips, ankles, shoulders, knees, elbows, feet, or spine if the orthopedic doctor recommends it. The surgeon is typically able to help with serious conditions that require invasive treatment, like chronic back pain, ruptured disc, spinal stenosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, bone tumors, and arthritis. In short, all orthopedic surgeons are doctors, but not all orthopedists are surgeons.
What kind of education and training do orthopedic surgeons get?
An orthopedic surgeon requires a doctor of medicine degree (M.D.). This requires a bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school, and up to five years of residency in a graduate medical school program. The residency must include general surgical practice, patient treatment, research, and subspecialty work. The surgeon may require an additional fellowship after the residency so that they can specialize in an area that they want to mainly focus on. The undergraduate major does not have to be specific, but there need to be at least three years of college coursework, including biology, physics, chemistry, and math. Orthopedic surgeons must be able to examine patients accurately, diagnose their musculoskeletal medical condition, and decide whether or not surgery is absolutely necessary. They must also be able to perform surgery on ligaments, bones, and tendons. All doctors must be board certified and licensed.
What does it mean for an orthopedic surgeon to be board-certified?
In order for an orthopedic surgeon to be board-certified, they must have a valid medical license. Board certification is not absolutely necessary for licensure. However, it sets apart the surgeon from their peers and helps get them recognized as a specialist by their patients, employers, hospitals, and insurers. To date, there are 29,908 board-certified orthopedic surgeons. The orthopedic surgeon must have completed their accredited residency before applying to become board-certified. They must take a computer-based examination that is absolutely secure, computer-administered, and timed. The exam is made up of 320 multiple choice questions that revolve around the orthopedic specialty. Candidates take the exams at Prometric testing sites. The test is divided into seven sections and must be completed within eight hours. The exam is created by the national board of medical examiners and each question must be supported by at least two peer-reviewed references. All the questions are also reviewed by at least three different surgeons before they appear on the exam. Once the surgeon passes the part one multiple-choice question examination, they can then be eligible for the part two oral examination. Within a five-year time period, candidates can be admitted to the oral examination after they’ve been in practice for 17 months at one location. In the oral examination, 12 cases are selected and presented to the test applicant. The exam is two hours long and divided into four parts with two different examiners for each period. The oral examination evaluates the test candidate regarding how they handle complications, their level of professionalism, their ethics, and surgical indications of variability. If they pass the examination, they become board-certified for ten years before renewal.
What’s the difference between a sports medicine doctor and an orthopedist?
Sports Medicine doctors are similar to orthopedists in that they both treat musculoskeletal conditions, but sports medicine practitioners can also focus on areas outside of the musculoskeletal system. Mainly catering to athletes, doctors of sports medicine can perform physical examinations to identify injuries. They diagnose the type of injury the athlete has so that they can create a treatment plan. This allows the doctor to provide a solution to help athletes recover so that they can play sports again. Sports physicians can prescribe corticosteroids for athletes and other forms of pain medication. Sports Medicine doctors can treat serious injuries, such as dislocated joints, broken bones, Achilles tendon injuries, knee injuries, muscle injuries, etc. They can also treat chronic sports injuries, like rotator cuff injuries, stress fractures, and tendonitis. Miami sports injury doctors aim to help South Florida athletes recover as soon as possible so that they can return to their training without further injury. However, for more severe injuries that require more invasive therapy — hand surgery, torn ligaments, torn tendons, etc.— an orthopedic surgeon is necessary.
How Do I Know Whether I Need Surgery Not?
In general, patients will be presented with different treatment options by their doctor regarding whether they may or may not require surgery. Patients will need an intensive review of the type of pain or disability they are experiencing to hone in on their unique medical conditions. Even if some injuries are similar, each and every patient has a unique medical history that requires a special approach to their treatment. You may not require surgery, and there are less invasive or minimally invasive treatment options available. For example, your condition may only need rehabilitation, physical therapy, and a pain management plan. The only way to truly know whether orthopedic surgery is the right approach for you is a speak to a medical doctor regarding your particular disorder.
A certified Miami doctor that specializes in orthopedics can diagnose the issue that you have in your elbow, shoulder, hip, wrist, or ankle. Based on the type of injury you have, you may receive an intervention strategy for your rehabilitation. Our orthopedic surgeons will work closely with you and other team members to support you through your treatment. Before you consider surgery, speak with one of our orthopedic surgeons in South Florida.
I Have More Questions About The Type Of Injury I Have
Let one of our certified team members know about your injury. Our clinic specializes in orthopedics, and we provide cutting-edge solutions for our patients. Before introducing the idea of surgery, we will first try to diagnose your condition and determine whether or not there are alternative treatments. Let our dedicated Miami team diagnose the type of trauma, fractures, chronic pain, or congenital musculoskeletal disorder that you have. During your orthopedic surgery plan, we will guide you from start to finish, helping you achieve full recovery. Speak to Ceda Orthopedic Group for an initial consultation in South Florida.
