Things you should know about an orthopedic surgeon

 

Your musculoskeletal system consists of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and muscles. Having pain in any of these body parts is common because they play such a significant part in our body’s movement. Pain or any adverse musculoskeletal condition affects people at any time and age, keeping them away from working or enjoying life.

Orthopedics is the medical field devoted to managing and treating diseases and conditions that affect your musculoskeletal system. An orthopedic surgeon is a doctor who is specialized in diagnosing, treating, and preventing all the problems concerning bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. A best orthopedic surgeon holds an immense amount of responsibility for operating the patients and helping them treat complex musculoskeletal problems. Anyone going through continuous backaches or a sudden sports injury can consult an orthopedic specialist to relieve their pain and return to normal life. Dislocated joints, hip or back pain, arthritis, degenerative are all common orthopedic problems. 

 

Kinds of orthopedic doctors

Firstly, knowing the difference between orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic specialists is important. You must know that all orthopedic surgeons are orthopedic specialists but, not all orthopedic specialists are orthopedic surgeons. Both orthopedic specialists and orthopedic surgeons work in medical clinics or private practice to treat musculoskeletal frameworks. A specialist in orthopedics is a well-qualified doctor who accesses, diagnoses, and treats your problem related to bones, muscles, or nerves using non-invasive methods. They are more likely to give treatment by using advanced non-surgical techniques, from minimally invasive procedures. Whereas the best orthopedic surgeons can provide all of the same care as the specialist, they perform surgery as well. So, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon will always first check if the musculoskeletal problem can be treated and resolved with the help of non-surgical options.

Patients who don't have a clear diagnosis of their problem should always consult the non-surgical orthopedic doctor or specialist first because many conditions can effectively be cured without surgeries. However, if the condition is serious and requires surgical treatment, the patient must consult the surgeon for further procedure.

Different types of orthopedic treatment procedures

Let's talk about few surgical and non-surgical orthopedic treatments.

Non-surgical treatments 

• Exercises - For maintaining and improving the strength, flexibility, and range of motion in a particular area, doctors might recommend you to do specific exercises or stretching. 
• Immobilization – It's a process of holding a joint or bone in place with the help of a splint, cast, or brace for preventing an injured area from moving while getting healed.
• Medications - For getting relief from continuous pain and swelling, your orthopedic doctor might suggest certain over-the-counter medications or any prescription drugs like corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory medicine
• Lifestyle changes – This is again a useful non-surgical technique that involves changes in your physical activity, diet, and the ways you exercise to prevent the pain of an injury.

 

Surgical treatments

• Joint replacement – It's a surgery that involves replacing the parts of a damaged or diseased joint. Such as knee replacement and hip replacement surgery.  
• Internal fixation involves the placement of pins, screws, plates, and rods for helping to hold the broken bones in one place for healing. 
• Fusion – This treatment is often used for neck or spine surgery. A bone graft material or any fixation material is used to join two bones together. 
• Osteotomy – It is a surgery generally used to treat arthritis, and it involves cutting a part of a bone and then relocating it.
• Soft tissue repair – It's a surgery used to fix all the severely damaged muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

Tips for choosing a good orthopedic surgeon

• Firstly, you need to get the referral list of good surgeons. You can take recommendations from your family, friends, and other healthcare professionals. Take time and do great research about all the orthopedic doctors before fixing an appointment.
• Check for the board certification while choosing an orthopedic surgeon. Certification tells about the necessary training, skills, and experience of the surgeon for orthopedic care. You must also confirm that there is no history of malpractice claims for the best orthopedic surgeon.
• When it comes to specialized surgical care for complex orthopedic problems, the more experience a surgeon has, the better your results are likely to be. It would be best to inquire how many patients with your specific condition have been treated by that particular surgeon and the operations' success rate.
• One must always consider the quality of care given at a particular hospital or ambulatory surgery center where the orthopedic surgeon treats patients. It is an important factor to look at because patients at top-rated hospitals have fewer complications and better survival rates.

Orthopedic surgeries at Colusa Medical Center

Looking for the best orthopedic surgical treatment? We suggest you consult Dr. George Hayes at Colusa Medical Center.

Colusa Medical Center is known for its best diagnosis and treatment facilities for the disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They are committed to giving 100% assistance to the patients suffering from any problem related to joints, bones, tendons, and muscles. Dr.  Hayes at Colusa Medical Center is assisted by a dedicated team who are compassionate in giving a patient-friendly environment with the most up-to-date treatments. Consult them now!