Find pain relief with surgery
SOMETIMES
surgery is the
best solution for a sore joint.
Occasionally, doctors recommend
surgery right away. But typically,
they’ll try more conservative
treatments first. “Surgery is
considered when those treatments
don’t improve symptoms or your
joint isn’t functioning correctly,” says
Dragos Macelaru, MD, orthopedics
specialist at Alice Hyde Medical
Center.
In an open procedure, the surgeon
makes an incision in your skin that’s
usually a few inches long. Generally,
he or she will detach muscle to reach
the problem area.
An arthroscopic procedure is
less invasive and involves smaller
incisions. The surgeon inserts an
arthroscope—a pencil-thin camera
and lighting system—into one
incision, which relays pictures to a
TV screen. Watching the screen, the
surgeon operates with instruments
inserted through the
other incisions.
In a mini-open
procedure, part of
the operation is done
arthroscopically and
part is completed as
an open procedure.
Sometimes
you can choose which procedure
you’d like. But other times, one is
recommended over the others. Ask
your doctor which type is best for
you.
Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Alice Hyde’s
6
q
WHEN
avid bow hunter and
longtime St. Regis Falls resident John
Walker decided to address his
shoulder pain, he chose to stay close
to home. “I was in pain for five or six
years. You know how people are;
they just try to get by with the pain,”
Walker says. He went to his provider
at the Tower Health Center in St.
Regis Falls and was referred to
surgeon Elemer Raffai, MD, in the
Alice Hyde Orthopedic Department.
After an MRI, the team discovered
that Walker had a tear in his
shoulder and bicep. Arrangements
were made for a minimally invasive
procedure, which was scheduled just
a short time later. “It was really easy;
everybody at Alice Hyde was
excellent,” Walker says.
A L I C E H Y D E O R T H O P E D I C S
Talking turkey
about joint pain
Find a joint pain specialist
who is right for you. Visit
alicehyde.com
and click on
“Find a Physician.”
Get an inside look at a variety of health videos. Visit
youtube.com/alicehydemedical
.
Dragos
Macelaru, MD
His recovery was
quick and relatively
painless, and his
shoulder function has
been restored.
“Before surgery, I
couldn’t reach up to
get a coffee cup out of
the cupboard,”
Walker says. “Now I have all my
range of motion back, and I’m
hoping this fall to be able to bow
hunt! My advice to people is: Don’t
suffer. The team at Alice Hyde made
the whole process quick and easy.”
“When pain starts to take away
the activities you love, don’t just put
up with it,” says Dr. Raffai. Call the
Alice Hyde Orthopedic
Department at
518-481-2790
.
Elemer
Raffai, MD
Looking for a new physician? We can help. For a referral, call 518-481-2400.
