Recovery from Total Hip Replacement Baltimore MD

A lot of people who have suffered injuries or illnesses causing them to have significant hip pain choose to have a total hip replacement Baltimore MD.  The surgery itself is very safe and has mostly successful outcomes.  Recovery from hip replacement surgery Baltimore can take a couple of months and requires some support from family, friends, and professionals like home care nurses and physical therapists.

Recovering from Hip Replacement Surgery Baltimore

Here are some of the stages of recovery from this procedure:

• The operation itself takes several hours.  General anesthetic is used, so the patient is not aware of anything that is going on throughout.  The normal hospital stay for hip replacement surgery is two to three days.
• After the patient has become conscious in the recovery room, they are taken to a regular hospital room where they are given enough pain medication to keep them comfortable.  Coughing and deep breathing are encouraged at this point in order to recover fully from the anesthesia.
• Most people are up and walking the day after surgery.  Some even begin to work on an exercise and recovery program with a physical therapist.  An occupational therapist will show them how to do some basic daily activities in order to avoid putting too much stress on the new joint before it is fully healed.
• After 1-2 days, it becomes easier to walk.  A normal diet can be resumed and pain medication can usually be reduced.
• Discharge from the hospital occurs after 2-3 days.  Some people can be discharged directly to their home if they have enough help for shopping, housekeeping and personal care.  In other cases, people choose to go to a rehabilitation center for a few days where they can be cared for while working on physical therapy and other recovery activities.
• Four or more days after surgery, most people can do the physical therapy exercises they have learned.  Care of the incision must continue in order to avoid infection, which can be a serious complication.
• At 10-12 weeks post-surgery, most individuals have fully recovered and can do all, if not more, of the things they could do before.  Many report a lot of relief at being pain-free for the first time in years.

Total Hip Replacement Surgery Baltimore

Each year, many people experience overwhelming pain in their hips due to many causes that include diseases like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, accidents, and simple aging of the body.  Hip pain can be really debilitating because it limits the individual’s capacity to just about anything, including simple activities like getting out of bed and taking a walk around the neighborhood.  There is, however, really no need to suffer from hip pain in this day and age.  Every year, around 300,000 people in the United States undergo a total hip replacement surgery Baltimore.

About Hip Replacement Surgery Baltimore

The first total hip replacement surgery was performed in about 1960.  Since that time, there have been many innovations in the surgery that have made it one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures in the field of medicine.  In the last 30 years, a less-invasive version of the surgery has been developed that uses a tiny digital camera mounted on a surgical instrument to view the internal hip structures, allowing the surgeon to make a very small incision.  Many patients prefer this method because of the decrease in the time needed to heal the incision site and the improved cosmetic result.

The moving part of the hip itself consists of a ball and socket joint.  This joint consists of the acetabulum, the socket, which is located in the pelvis, and the ball, which is the head of the femur or thigh bone.  These are both covered with cartilage which is a smooth tissue that allows the ball to move easily and painlessly within the socket.  Many individuals who end up as candidates for hip replacement surgeries have cartilage that has broken down because of disease or over-use, leaving bone grinding on bone as the hip moves.

During the surgery, the doctor will remove the head of the femur and put in a replacement that is usually made of metal.  It has a stem that fits down into the femur. The stem is sometimes held in place by cement.  A part of the pelvis is then removed to allow a new socket to be placed.  These parts then fit together and move painlessly after recovery.

Finding a Spinal Fusion Doctor Baltimore

Patients who have made the decision to go ahead with spinal fusion surgery are likely to have been disappointed with less intrusive interventions like over-the-counter pain relief medications and steroid pills or injections.  Once the decision has been made, the next step is to find a spinal fusion doctor baltimore.  While the patient’s primary care doctor may have their own ideas about who would be a good referral for back surgery, it is important for all patients to advocate for themselves and make sure they find the most qualified surgeon possible for this operation.  While the surgeon recommended by the primary care physician may be just fine, and may, indeed, be the patient’s final choice, nothing except time is lost by making a more complete and thorough search of qualified surgeons.

Which Spinal Fusion Doctor Baltimore MD?

• The first thing the patient needs to decide as the search begins is whether they feel most comfortable with an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon.  Either one of these specialists is qualified to perform this type of surgery.  It is possible that the orthopedic surgeon is more qualified to execute the bone manipulation, while the neurosurgeon is more qualified to manipulate the spinal cord and nerves.  This is not, however, necessarily the case.  The type of fellowship training that each one had can figure heavily into how they might approach the surgery.  Finally, spinal fusion is sometimes performed by an orthopedic surgeon with a neurologist in the operating room for consultation.  So, this is yet a third option.
• Selecting the facility for spinal fusion surgery Baltimore  http://www.medstarunionortho.org/ is just as important as selecting the doctor.  Most larger medical facilities publish the numbers of different procedures they do every year in an annual report that should be available on the internet or by request.  The more spinal fusion procedures the facility does in a year, the better it would be as a choice.  Even better if the preferred surgeon practices there.
• Finally, selecting a doctor who practices at a large hospital system can have some advantages for the patient.  It may be easier to get an appointment for follow-up care; and, post-operative services like physical therapy should be readily available.

Lumbar Laminectomy and Discectomy Baltimore

There are many different kinds of back surgery that can often help people who suffer from chronic and debilitating back pain.  It can be confusing for people who need surgical relief from their pain in order to function in normal daily activities to understand all of the different kinds of surgeries and which ones might be helpful for them.  Sometimes, when a nerve becomes pinched in the lower back area, the pain can be relieved by decreasing the pressure on that nerve.  In a surgical intervention, this is done by removing a part of the bony covering of the impacted nerve, called the lamina, and repositioning the nerve more toward the center of the spinal column.

The spinal column also contains discs that can herniate or rupture.  This sometimes calls for a surgical repair called a discectomy.  When the removal of a lamina is done at the same time that a disc removal or repair is carried out in the lower back region, this surgery is a lumbar laminectomy and discectomy Baltimore.

Who is a Candidate for Lumbar Laminectomy and Discectomy Baltimore?

While spinal surgery is often an effective intervention for chronic back pain, it is not without discomfort and risks.  Normally, doctors will try non-surgical interventions before recommending a referral to an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon for back surgery Baltimore.  Those who have some of the following issues may be surgical candidates:

• Individuals who have been suffering from back pain for a very long time without any relief from less invasive interventions, like physical therapy, may consider having back surgery.
• Sometimes, a pinched nerve or injured disc in the spinal column will cause leg pain that is actually worse than back pain.  These cases often necessitate a surgical intervention.
• Other issues that are caused by nerve and disc issues in the back include a loss of bladder or bowel control, a loss of feeling in the genital area and leg weakness.  When theses symptoms present themselves, either individually or together, an immediate surgical intervention may be desired because of the level of discomfort of the patient.
• Diagnostic tests such as an MRI or CT scan can indicate when a back problem is serious enough to necessitate a prompt surgical solution.

Choosing the Right Total Knee Replacement Doctor Baltimore

Tips for Selecting a Total Knee Replacement Doctor Baltimore

1. Find a medical professional (and team) that operates in a location that is convenient to you. This is an important thing, because you will need to go to many different appointments before and after the surgery, and having to go long distances in a vehicle with a surgically repaired knee can be difficult.

2. Pick your total knee replacement doctor Baltimore by looking at their qualifications and reading reviews from other patients. Being comfortable and confident with your medical team is imperative, because this can help to decrease any anxiety that you may have about undergoing this type of surgery.

3. Listen to the medical advice that you are given. Even though knee replacement surgeries have a lot of commonalities, every single situation will be slightly different, requiring the procedure to be tailored to a specific patient’s needs. It is important to understand that when the doctors tell you to do something that it gets done, no matter how silly or insignificant things seem.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask family members to sit in on conversations with medical professionals with you. They can act as neutral parties and give you advice about what is said, or even be there for moral support. After all, they’re likely going to be the ones that provide care after the surgery, so they should be informed, too. The doctors can even help them learn the best ways to care and support for you as you recover, which will be very helpful.

5. Getting multiple opinions may seem like a hassle,but it’s actually a good idea. Different medical professionals in different cities will all be able to complete the surgery, but they may have different advantages or opportunities based on where they are employed. Wanting a newer and less invasive technique used, or looking for a team with more experience is your right as a patient – so don’t be afraid to shop around, since a knee replacement surgery is often something that does not need to be done as soon as possible, but still needs to be done correctly.

Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore MD Surgery

Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore MD is an elective surgery that is sometimes used in an attempt to control back pain that has not responded to less invasive treatments like oral medication, steroid injections, or physical therapy.  The purpose of this surgery is to fuse together two or more vertebrae in the lower spine to create a solid bridge, thereby stabilizing a painful or weak part of the back.  It should be emphasized that this surgery should only be considered if there is a 70% or more chance of it improving an individual’s experience of back pain.  It does not always eliminate all of the pain.  This surgery does have some significant risks, one of which is that it might make back pain worse.

Common Questions about Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore

Having surgery is always at least a little bit frightening.  Having the most information possible before going into surgery is often helpful to calm the nerves.  Here are some common questions that patients have about posterior lumbar fusion surgery.

• Will I still be able to bend over once my spine is fused?  The answer to this is “probably”.  Most often, the part of the spine that is fused is much smaller than people think it is going to be.  The number of vertebrae that are fused together does, however, vary from surgery to surgery.  It is also good to know that most of the motion for bending over occurs at the hips and not in the spine.
• What kind of medical equipment will be placed inside of my body?  Some amount of screws, plates or rods will be used to immobilize the spine once the desired number of vertebrae have been prepared to fuse.  Older versions of the surgery placed post-surgical patients in casts or braces.  The medical hardware had been found to facilitate healing more effectively, and to make recovery quicker and less intrusive into daily life.
• What can I do to make sure my surgery is successful?  The number one lifestyle issue that complicates this type of surgery is smoking.  Over 90% of spinal fusions are successful in non-smokers.  Less than 50% are successful when the patient smokes.