Best Practice Health TV
I first realized how much low back pain can feel…
read moreThe decision to undergo surgery is a significant one. At Phoenix Spine & Joint we believe that patient education is an incredibly important part of the treatment journey, and we want to ensure that the people who come to us for relief are confident in the decision they’ve made.
Along with the procedure itself, the pre- and postoperative recovery phase of hip surgery can have a significant impact on achieving a positive outcome. One reason why it is so essential for patients to understand these two phases in particular is because it allows them to take an active role.
By learning what to expect before and after hip surgery, you can be more confident and engaged as you take this important step in your care.
Preparing for minimally invasive hip surgery
Patients most commonly undergo hip surgery for arthritis, but other causes include hip fracture and bone tumors. Not everyone with severe hip pain can be a candidate for a procedure due to risk factors such as hip infections and obesity. In addition, smoking increases the risk of pneumonia with surgery and lowers the chance of a positive outcome. If any of these factors apply to you, you must work with your doctor to address them before becoming a surgical candidate.
If you’ve been told you need hip surgery, our caring team at Phoenix Spine & Joint will review your condition and diagnostic imagery to determine if you’re a good candidate for one of our procedures. Before undergoing surgery, it is critical to follow all preoperative instructions closely, including:
When patients arrive at our state-of-the-art center, they can expect a streamlined experience that combines evaluation, testing and surgery in an environment that puts you at the center of the experience. Our caring and dedicated staff will walk you through all of the necessary appointments and screenings during your preoperative period.
The recovery process from our minimally invasive hip surgery typically takes up to six weeks or longer. Since we perform our procedures on an outpatient basis, most people are walking with the help of a walker just a couple of hours after surgery and can go home that day, avoiding the need, and associated risks and costs, of a hospital stay.
During your recovery, your rehabilitation team will provide instruction regarding movement and exercises that can help promote healing. The goal is to increase blood flow, develop strength and show you how to safely walk with the assistance of a device such as a cane or a walker.
At Phoenix Spine & Joint, we’re dedicated to giving you the treatment information you deserve to make an informed choice about your care. Contact us today to talk to one of our patient care coordinators and receive a free second opinion.
We’re committed to solving your knee pain problems with the least invasive treatment possible.
We use the robot on every knee surgery, which means a personalized implant selection that results in a better outcome.
We utilize the only implant that’s approved to last for 30 years.
No hospital stay means a much lower risk of infection.
Partial knee replacements are half the surgery and recovery time of a total knee.
You should do 3 weeks of physical therapy before considering an MRI—studies show worse results if you get imaging at this point. If you are not better after 3 weeks of therapy, then (6 weeks since the pan began) you should get an MRI and referral to a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management. They will do a medial branch block and radiofrequency ablation as appropriate. Don’t let anyone talk you into epidural injection; that is not what you need.
You should do 3 weeks of physical therapy before considering an MRI—studies show worse results if you get imaging at this point. If you are not better after 3 weeks of therapy, then (6 weeks since the pan began) you should get an MRI. We can help you find a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management who doesn’t over-prescribe dangerous narcotics.
They will offer you medial branch block and epidural injection. Those don’t really work for this problem. Your options are (off label) intradiscal injection of stem cell-derived growth factors, denervation with the relevant procedure, and then referral to a spine surgeon for interbody fusion if those fail.
You need an MRI now and referral to a spine surgeon for possible laminectomy decompression surgery. We can help you find one who is board-certified and specializes in minimally invasive surgery.
You need an MRI now and referral to a board-certified anesthesiologist or physiatrist with subspecialty certification and specialization in pain management. Don’t go to one that prescribes a lot of narcotics, they may get you killed. If you’re not better after 3 epidural injection you will be referred at 12 weeks to a spine surgeon to consider microdiscectomy. Note that you DO NOT need radiofrequency ablation; so, don’t let anyone talk you into a medial branch block.
This stuff can be confusing. Don’t sweat it. We’ve got you. Your MRI came with a report by a radiologist which describes the findings. If you don’t have a copy of your report, you can get one from the imaging center where the x-ray was taken. The doctor who prescribed the MRI has a copy as well. Find the section labeled Impression. First, under the impression, look for the word normal. If you see something like “Normal MRI of the hip then you are done. You do not need to check anything.
Next, search the impression section for the words osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis. If you see either one in the report, then ignore the rest of the report and check the osteonecrosis box. If neither of those is in the report, ignore the rest for now and continue.
This stuff can be confusing. Don’t sweat it. We’ve got you. Your x-ray came with a report by a radiologist which describes the findings. If you don’t have a copy of your report, you can get one from the imaging center where the x-ray was taken. The doctor who prescribed the x-ray has a copy as well. Find the section labeled Impression.
First, under the impression, look for the word normal. If you see something like “Normal x-ray of the hip then you are done. Check the box normal. Next, search the impression section for the word hypoplasia. If you see hypoplasia in the report then ignore the rest, and check the hypoplasia box.
If you are still going, then look for the word arthritis. The radiologist should have given the arthritis a grade from 1 to 4. If you see arthritis in the impression section but there is no grade, then look at the rest of the report for a grade 1,2,3 or 4 and check the appropriate box. If there’s no grade then you have every right to call the imaging center and ask them to have the radiologist to do their job and redo the report with a grade.
Not all orthopedic surgeons are the same. You deserve the best. That means a surgeon who is
In my experience less than 10% of orthopedic surgeons meet all five of these criteria. That means if you go to the surgeon you’ve been seeing, or the one recommended by friends or family, there’s a 90% chance you will not be getting the best.
At Phoenix Spine and Joint we make it our business to know the best. Call us for help finding the best surgeon near you who takes your insurance and is accepting new patients.
If you have any of the following red flags you need to see a doctor NOW!
Radiculopathy. This condition is most often due to herniated disc, but can also be caused by bone spurs, or compression of nerve roots as they leave the spinal canal. The traditional treatment is to confirm the herniation or compression by MRI, followed by a trial of epidural injection, with microdiscectomy or laminectomy surgery if all else fails.
Enter below and we will email or text you more information about how to get rid of your radiculopathy due to herniated disc.
Facet syndrome. Your low back pain is most consistent with arthritis. Look for confirmation on your x-ray and MRI reports with discussion about “arthritis.” The traditional treatment is radiofrequency ablation done by a pain management physician.
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Discogenic low back pain due to an annular tear. Sorry, this is the least common and the hardest to treat. Traditionally, the recommended procedure is fusion; however, that does not always work and causes adjacent level issues. More recently a denervation procedure was approved called the Intercept procedure from Relievant. Some doctors recommend injection, The two options are stem cell-derived growth factors, and ozone.
Enter below and we will email or text you more information about how to get rid of your discogenic low back pain.
