Preparing for Orthopedic Surgery
At Cape Cod Healthcare, your orthopedic surgery experience begins long before you visit the operating room. Here are three steps you’ll undergo prior to surgery.
1: Pre-Surgery Imaging
Cape Cod Healthcare is home to superb imaging technology that allows physicians to diagnose your condition and plan the upcoming surgical intervention.
Using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, fluoroscopy, and more, physicians can pinpoint the problem and determine the best method of healing your knees, hips, and shoulders before ever entering the operating room.
“Pre-procedural imaging allows for the best evaluation of the joint so surgeons can plan the most appropriate procedure for each patient,” says Shawn Rayder, MD, a board-certified radiologist and pediatric radiologist on staff at Cape Cod Hospital. “It’s not an assembly line process where everyone undergoes the same exam. We recognize every patient has individual needs, and pre- procedural imaging allows us to optimize care for each patient.”
Wondering what your surgeon is looking for? Here are the purposes of two imaging technologies commonly used in orthopedics.
MRI uses a magnetic field to clearly depict cartilage, ligaments, and bone marrow and is an excellent tool to diagnose tears in the knee, shoulder, and hip. With the recent acquisition of a fourth MRI machine, Cape Cod Healthcare provides the best high-tech MRI services faster than ever at four convenient locations
CT is great at finding tiny fractures and other bone problems. Whereas traditional X-ray displays a two-dimensional image of the bones, three-dimensional CT reconstruction allows radiologists to see the shape of the bones and the condition of the bones’ surface. Cape Cod Healthcare is home to two new GE Light Speed 16 CT scanners, which take 400 images during a single exam—approximately 10 times as many as a traditional CT scanner. The images can then be manipulated to help radiologists hone in on potential problem areas for more accurate and complete diagnoses.
In addition to finding the source of your pain through imaging, both hospitals also have specialized radiologists with the expertise to reduce your pain through diagnostic and therapeutic steroid injections.
“Imaging and nearly painless steroid injections help us decide whether a patient should be referred to an orthopedic surgeon,” says Robb Hoehlein, MD, a board-certified, fellowship-trained-in-musculoskeletal-procedures radiologist on staff at Falmouth Hospital. “If an occasional injection seems to be the best course of treatment, many patients can forego orthopedic surgery. Providing options like this lets community members know we have their best interests in mind and sets our program apart.”
2: Pre-Op Conditioning
Good conditioning prior to surgery is important and Cape Cod Healthcare offers a variety of exercise programs. From lifting weights and walking on a treadmill to swimming or walking in a pool, our therapists work hand in hand with your physician to create a customized pre-op conditioning program.
“The purpose of pre-op conditioning is to ensure patients go into surgery at a higher level of function and strength,” says Pat Wolfe, PT, MS, director of orthopedics and rehabilitation services at Cape Cod Healthcare. “By doing this, we hope to help patients have an easier and faster recovery.”
3: Pre-Surgery Education
“Our education program is a way for patients to interact with
staff and see we’re truly interested in their entire orthopedic experience, while lowering their anxiety levels,” says William J. Manning Jr., MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon on staff at Cape Cod Hospital. “To make the program as beneficial as possible, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve by using new technology and information.”
“Joint replacement patients meet in a group session with a nurse, physical therapist and case manager to discuss their concerns and expectations,” says Mary Lynch, RN, MBA, nurse manager at Cape Cod Hospital. “Patients have better results when they know what to expect before, during, and after their procedures, and being in a group setting puts them at ease,” adds Paul Dimond, MD, a board- certified orthopedic surgeon on staff at Falmouth Hospital and rehabilitation medical director at the JML Care Center. “We have many people who say they love our pre-op teaching program, and they’re fast to say it’s better than any they’ve ever participated in.” Considering orthopedic surgery? Call Cape Cod Healthcare’s Information Line at (877) CAPE COD to get on the track to a healthier knee, hip, or shoulder.