Our Orthopedic Surgeons
By any measure, Milford Regional’s orthopedic surgeons have proven themselves to be experts in their field. All of them diagnose and treat a wide variety of orthopedic problems, while several are specialists in arthroscopic surgery, joint replacements, sports injuries or hand surgery.
When it comes to selecting an orthopedic surgeon, experience and training are key. Our orthopedic surgeons have received training, held fellowships and practiced at such prestigious hospitals as Massachusetts General, Tufts New England Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, UMass Memorial and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Several have cared for such notable teams as the New York Jets, New York Islanders, LA Dodgers and LA Lakers. For most of them, surgeries that already number in the hundreds annually continue to grow due to word of mouth. They pride themselves in offering the most up-to-date surgical procedures in arthroscopic and joint replacement.
Physician Assistants in Orthopedics
Orthopedic patients at Milford Regional also benefit from the experience and attention of certified physician assistants (PA-C) in orthopedics. These highly trained medical professionals provide assistance exclusively to our orthopedic surgeons and their patients while here at Milford Regional. Because the PA-C’s focus is entirely on managing the care of orthopedic patients from admission to discharge, their accessibility fosters a level of comfort that makes patients less apprehensive about sharing their thoughts and concerns. They work closely with the surgeons and hospital staff to enhance and expedite care. Their goal is to make the patient experience a good one.
Anesthesiologists
You will not find a more experienced team and progressive approach to pain management during orthopedic surgery than at Milford Regional. Our anesthesiology team is all board certified specialists available to provide around-the-clock care. They have gone above and beyond to remain on the cutting edge. Orthopedic patients are now benefiting from a breakthrough approach to pain management which involves the use of different pain killing medications to target different pain pathways to the brain. This new approach helps prevent or reduce the pain a patient feels by blocking some of these pathways. Because the use of narcotics is lessened with this pain modality, the side effects associated with it, including nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and a prolonged recovery, are minimized.
Milford Regional has also been ahead of the curve in offering ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, which provide significant pain relief to orthopedic patients before, during and after surgery. Rather than using surface anatomy as a guide to inject local anesthetic to numb the surgical area, ultrasound is far more precise and effective. While many community hospitals nationwide do not yet offer this advanced procedure, close to 1,000 ultrasound-guided nerve blocks have already been performed at Milford Regional. The benefits of a nerve block are two-fold. Patients experience a dramatic reduction in pain following surgery because of its long-lasting effect (anywhere from 12 – 18 hours) without the use of narcotics and all of their aforementioned side effects. The forward thinking approach of our anesthesiologists on pain management has put us on par with larger healthcare facilities.
Physical and Occupational Therapists, Case Managers
For a full and complete recovery following orthopedic surgery, physical and occupational therapy are critically important; progressive exercise is essential. That is why Milford Regional’s physical therapists provide care seven days a week. Milford Regional is one of the few facilities in the area to do so. You will receive the same level of physical therapy care over the weekend here as you get during the week. The staff evaluates all orthopedic inpatients right away and begins to work with them as quickly as possible on restoring range of motion, strength and functional mobility. For knee or hip replacement patients, Milford Regional also offers an educational program ahead of time to prepare you for the surgery and post-operative care.
In addition, the majority of orthopedic patients see Milford Regional’s occupational therapists for treatment on regaining every day skills and an evaluation of their equipment needs once home. They work closely with our case managers who arrange retrieval of the equipment and coordinate all aspects of the patient’s discharge. It’s a multi-disciplinary approach that patients appreciate. We take care of you from start to finish.
