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JULES VUOTTO
By Menachem M. Meller, MD
Living with chronic joint pain? If pain is affecting your everyday life, it might be time to consider joint replacement surgery. At some point, joint damage affects practically everyone. Whether caused by an injury, arthritis or the gradual wear and tear of life, joint pain can often be treated with exercise, lifestyle changes or medication. When these aren’t enough, however, joint replacement surgery may become necessary. Offering years of use, artificial joints can greatly improve your quality of life.
PREPARING FOR THE DAY
The first step is to meet with an orthopedic specialist. Depending on the deterioration, you may require a partial or full joint replacement. Either way, your orthopedic specialist will educate you on the surgery, answering questions and giving a clear picture of what to expect during and after your procedure. Leading up to surgery, you’ll need to eat a healthy diet and perform special exercises. These two steps can help you recover from surgery and regain full range of motion faster.
THE BIG DAY
On the day of surgery, you’ll check in at the hospital and be taken in for surgery. In some joint replacement cases, minimally invasive techniques can be employed, offering smaller incisions and less disruption to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. But each case is different, so talk with your surgeon about what might work best for you. And believe it or not, just hours after leaving the operating room, a physical therapist may help you begin using your new joint.
GOING HOME
Recovery continues with in-home therapy. During this time, a therapist visits your home a few times a week. As you gain function in your new joint, you will transition to outpatient therapy. Within a few weeks, you should finish your formal rehabilitation process. While you continue working to strengthen your new joints, you should be able to return to everyday life, doing many of the things you love!
Living with joint pain? It doesn’t have to be that way. Call Dr. Menachem Meller at (215) 785-9818 to learn more.
Dr. Meller is a Board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon who’s been practicing for over 33 years. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College. He specializes in orthopedic medicine and is experienced in trauma and acute injuries, adult reconstruction joint replacement surgery, sports medicine, and arthroscopic surgery as well as injuries and illness which may have a medical or metabolic basis.
Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Menachem M. Meller, M.D., Ph.D., FAAOS is a provider at Lower Bucks Hospital, 501 Bath Rd. Bristol, PA. To schedule an appointment call Dr. Menachem M. Meller, call at Lower Bucks Hospital, Bristol 215-785-9818 or Town Center, Langhorne 267-789-2074.