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Back and Neck Surgery (Spinal Fusion)
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this surgery, which requires a hospital stay. Recovery time will vary, and depends upon the patient, the extent of the injury, and the judgment and expertise of the physician.
Back Surgery
Back surgery involves removal of all or part of a vertebra or disk in order to relieve pressure and pain on the nerves in the spine. A vertebra is one of 33 small bones making up the spine. Disks are the cushioning between the vertebrae that prevent the bones from coming into contact with each other.
A herniated disk is one that has ruptured or bulged from a tear in the disk covering. If the herniated disk presses on a nerve, surgery may be required to relieve the pressure and the pain associated with it.
Surgery may include:
Back surgery is usually performed by an orthopedic surgeon, and is done under general anesthesia. It is an inpatient procedure, which means that it requires a hospital stay. The surgery will relieve pain and allow the back to heal. Recovery time is typically 1-3 months.
Bunion Correction
A bunion is an enlargement of the joint at the base and the side of the big toe and consists of a bony growth. Most commonly seen in women, it is thought that wearing narrow pointed-toed shoes is the main cause. However, bunions are also known to be hereditary and are even found in societies where no footwear is ever worn, leading to the conclusion of inherited foot problems.
Surgical removal of a bunion is usually done while the patient is under general anesthesia and rarely requires a hospital stay. A podiatrist will make an incision along the bones of the big toe into the foot. The deformed joint and bones are repaired, and the bones are stabilized with a pin and/or cast.
Different procedures include:
Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery
Carpal tunnel release is a surgery performed by an orthopedic and/or hand surgeon to relieve hand and wrist pain caused by the compression of the medial nerve at the wrist. The medial nerve and the tendons are located in one wall of the carpal tunnel. The other wall holds the bones of the wrist. Most conditions are caused by wrist fracture, rheumatoid arthritis, or overuse of the wrist.
The surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis using either local or general anesthesia. The surgery can be performed two different ways:
The recovery time after the surgery depends on how damaged the nerve was before the surgery.
Hip Replacement Surgery
Hip replacement surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon to replace all or part of the hip joint with an artificial device known as a prosthesis. The prosthesis consists of three parts that include a cup that replaces the hip socket, a metal or ceramic ball that replaces the head of the femur, and a metal stem that is attached to the shaft of the bone to add stability.
Reasons for the surgery include severe pain and/or osteoarthritis, hip fractures or hip joint tumors.
Under general anesthesia, the surgeon will make an incision over the buttocks to expose the hip joint. The head of the femur is cut out and removed. The rest of the hip socket is cleaned out and removed of all bone and cartilage. The surgeon then places the new socket and ball in the area. The surgery usually takes two to three hours.
Most patients are discharged within ten days of having the surgery. Full recovery can take three to six months, depending on the type of surgery, the patient's overall health, and the type of rehabilitation.
As younger patients are having hip replacements, revision surgery is becoming more common as the wearing away of the joint surface becomes a problem after 15 to 20 years. The revision surgery can also be performed for fractures, partal dislocation, and infection.
Knee Repair Surgery (Arthroscopic ACL Meniscal Repair)
ACL meniscal repairs are typically performed using arthroscopic surgery where the physician uses a camera or arthroscope inserted in small incisions in the joint. The physician is able to insert instruments through the incisions to make repairs.
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this type of surgery. Almost all surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery can be performed under local, regional (specific area), or general anesthesia.
The surgery is performed on the medial (the middle part) or lateral (the side part) area of the knee. The surgery can be performed on both areas at the same time. Some procedures included in this surgery are:
Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement surgery is the placement of an artificial knee joint. The most common cause of knee pain is arthritis. It can be osteoarthritis, which normally occurs after the age of 50, rheumatoid arthritis (where too much synovial fluid is produced, overflowing the joint space), or post-traumatic arthritis following a knee injury.
Each artificial joint contains the following:
The knee can be attached by either cemented prosthesis, which is where the cement proxy attaches to the bone, or uncemented prosthesis, which is where there is a mesh on the surface that allows bone to grow into prosthesis.
The surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon using general or local anesthesia in a hospital setting. The surgeon begins by making an incision on the front of the knee to allow access to the joint. A tool is placed on the femur to keep proper alignment while the diseased bone is cut away from the end of the femur. The surgeon then prepares the top of the tibia bone by using another cutting tool. The undersurface of the kneecap is removed and the surgeon places the femoral component, the tibia component, and then the patellar component.
This procedure requires a hospital stay of several days.
Shoulder Surgery
Depending on the extent of damage, repairing the shoulder could involve:
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this type of surgery as either open surgery (larger incision to expose the joint) or arthroscopic surgery (where the physician uses a camera or arthroscope inserted in small incisions in the joint). Shoulder surgery is done under general anesthesia. Recovery time can be from one to six months, depending on the procedure and severity of injury. For many patients of shoulder surgery, physical therapy may help them regain range of motion and strength.
Heart Valve Repair
Heart valve surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a cardiac surgeon. During the surgery your blood is routed to a heart-lung bypass machine that keeps the blood circulating during heart surgery. Replacement heart valves can be either natural (human or animal donors), or artificial (metal). After surgery the patient is usually placed in an intensive care unit for 2-3 days. The average hospital stay is 1-2 weeks and recovery time can take several weeks to several months.
Lumpectomy (Partial Mastectomy)
A lung biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small amount of lung tissue is removed and examined by a pathologist for any abnormalities. The procedure is used to diagnose certain lung conditions, such as pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs with fibrotic tissue), sarcoidosis (clumps of cells formed in various organs), and cancer.
There are four types of lung biopsies:
This is an outpatient procedure done by a pulmonologist with a local anesthetic sprayed into the mouth.
This outpatient procedure is done by a pulmonologist or a radiologist with a local anesthetic applied to the area where the needle will be inserted.
This surgical procedure is performed by a thoracic surgeon or a general surgeon under general anesthesia while the patient is in the hospital.
This surgical procedure is performed by a thoracic surgeon or a general surgeon under general anesthesia while the patient is in the hospital.
Shoulder Surgery
Depending on the extent of damage, repairing the shoulder could involve:
An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this type of surgery as either open surgery (larger incision to expose the joint) or arthroscopic surgery (where the physician uses a camera or arthroscope inserted in small incisions in the joint). Shoulder surgery is done under general anesthesia. Recovery time can be from one to six months, depending on the procedure and severity of injury. For many patients of shoulder surgery, physical therapy may help them regain range of motion and strength.
Trans-urethral Bladder Surgery
Tubal ligation is a surgery where a woman's fallopian tubes are cut and sealed. It is commonly known as “tying one's tubes.” Tubal ligation permanently sterilizes a woman by preventing an egg from traveling from the ovary down to the uterus, so that the male sperm cannot make contact with the egg. If the sperm and the egg cannot make contact, fertilization cannot take place and pregnancy cannot occur.
Tubal ligations can be performed in a hospital or an outpatient setting under general anesthesia. It can be performed at any time when the patient is not pregnant. Often, tubal ligations are performed following childbirth in a hospital setting.
During this procedure, the physician makes one or two small incisions in the abdomen (usually below the navel) and a laparoscope (a tiny camera) is inserted. Using surgical instruments, the fallopian tubes are sealed shut with either cautery (burned), or a small clip placed on the tube. (Cautery heals naturally without stitches and has a minimum of blood loss.) The skin incision(s) is then stitched closed. The patient can return home a few hours after the procedure. Most patients recover fully within a week.
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