Better surgical techiques for knee surg.
Better surgical techniques get knee surgery patients back to a full lifestyle
HOLYOKE To orthopedic specialist Dr. Khaled "Kelly" Instrum, there's a big difference between simply recovering from an injury and being completely free of it.
"Things are really exciting in joint replacement," said Instrum, an orthopedic specialist at Holyoke Orthopedic Associates. "It used to be a pain-relieving operation that helped people get around. But now, with better materials and surgical techniques, people can get back to a full lifestyle. They can do what they want to do, with no restrictions."
He explained that, in the past, orthopedic surgeons made much larger incisions, slowing the recovery time from joint replacement and often precluding a return to full function.
"I use minimal incisions and don't cut muscles; I move them out of the way," Instrum explained. "And I use a type of prosthetic that's not common in our area, one that uses no cement. The metal is very similar to bone in stiffness and allows the bone to grow into it. It basically becomes part of you."
Hip replacements have seen similar advances. And because of these new techniques, patients can soon return to whatever activities they had previously enjoyed doing, whether that was skiing, playing tennis, hiking, or simply getting around without pain.
It's a trend that brings tremendous satisfaction to Instrum who wanted to be a physician from childhood and entered orthopedics because of an interest in sports medicine and surgery.
"I help make people's lives better. That's the reward I get out of it," he said.
It's gratifying, he said, to see longtime pain sufferers given new freedom through knee or shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, recovery times are shorter than ever.
"Often, people with knee replacements are walking without a cane in three weeks, and they've fully recovered by six weeks," he said. "Because of the way I do things and the prosthetics I use, they can live as normally as they want to."
Instrum said the work of orthopedic specialists will only become more important as Americans, particularly retired Baby Boomers, continue a current trend toward exercise and physical activity.
"With people of all age groups focusing on being healthy and becoming more active, we're seeing more rotator cuff problems and tendinitis, for example," he said. Furthermore, people are discovering the value of cardiovascular exercise and weightlifting programs to get in shape and therein lies a danger.
"If they don't follow appropriate exercise programs, they can end up with overuse injuries. Moreso than in the past, people are gung-ho to start these activities, and if they begin inappropriately, they can get in trouble."
Still, Instrum believes the increasing emphasis on well-being and physical activity is a positive thing. An athlete himself, he has played baseball, football, and hockey in the past and now concentrates on tennis, golf, squash, and snowboarding. And when it comes to staying active, he doesn't believe in age limits.
"Some elderly people say, 'I'm too old to have a joint replacement done,'" he said. "But if you're a young 80-year-old, and the only thing keeping you from golfing or dancing with your spouse is a bum knee, you'll likely remain active with a knee replacement." In fact, he added, such a person is a better candidate for the procedure than an inactive 45-year-old in poor health.
"I want to return people to what they want to do," Instrum said. "That's part of the enjoyment I receive from being an orthopedic surgeon." It's an enjoyment he gets to experience often.
Instrum may be reached for appointment at (413) 536-5814.
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