Randall Morgan Jr., MD University Park Orthopedics 2415 University Parkway Suite 219 Sarasota, FL 34243 941-360-2211
	Christopher Hyer, DPM Coastal Orthopedics and Sports Medicine 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Suite 340 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-792-1404
	Avi Kumar, MD Coastal Orthopedics and Sports Medicine 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Suite 340 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-792-1404
	Daniel Lamar Jr., MD Coastal Orthopedics and Sports Medicine 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Suite 340 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-792-1404

The pain of arthritis can affect the quality of your life, but there is hope: Doctors at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (LWRMC) say new treatments are improving the outlook for many patients.

"We're often able to offer patients treatments that will reduce or eliminate their pain and improve their mobility," says Avi Kumar, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at LWRMC who specializes in shoulder and elbow surgery. "Our goal is to help patients stay active or resume their normal activities, whether that means washing their hair or playing golf."

Treatment Can Change Your Life
Doctors often may recommend conservative treatments, including anti-inflammatory medications, injections, orthotics, splinting and bracing, and physical and occupational therapy, for early-stage arthritis. If these treatments fail or your arthritis is severe, surgeons offer a variety of innovative procedures that may help relieve your symptoms.

"We can use scopes to clean and resurface some joints, fuse painful joints or replace diseased joints," says Randall Morgan Jr., MD, an orthopedic surgeon at LWRMC. "We use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to help minimize damage to the tissues so patients can have less pain, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries."

Here are some of the sophisticated procedures available at LWRMC:

Knee and hip -- Surgeons at LWRMC perform total knee and total hip replacement procedures. They may use the Stryker^® Knee Navigation System when performing total knee replacement procedures. This advanced system helps surgeons align joints quickly and accurately.

"Proper placement of the joint may determine how long joints will last in the long run," says Daniel Lamar Jr., MD, an orthopedic surgeon at LWRMC who is trained in joint reconstruction and sports medicine and serves as a consultant to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Pirates and U.S. Soccer Team. "We hope this system will help patients function better throughout their lives."

Foot and ankle -- Surgeons can fuse or replace diseased ankle joints. A patient who has arthritis in the big toe may benefit from surgery to fuse the joint or a new procedure called joint-saving surgery. During joint-saving surgery, doctors remove scar tissue and bone fragments, resurface the joint and add a soft tissue spacer that helps relieve pressure on the painful toe joint.

"There have been some exciting advances in ankle and foot surgery that can help improve patients' symptoms and delay the progression of their arthritis," says Christopher Hyer, DPM, a podiatrist at LWRMC who specializes in ankle and foot surgery.

Shoulder and elbow -- Doctors can replace arthritic shoulder or elbow joints with artificial joints. They also can reverse the normal placement of shoulder implants for patients with torn rotator cuffs. This procedure makes it possible for patients to rotate and raise their arms. "Many people don't realize shoulder and elbow replacement procedures are available and that most patients who have these procedures do very well," says Dr. Kumar.

For More Information
Treatment for your arthritis will depend on your symptoms, the severity of your arthritis, your activity level and your overall health. To find out more about the surgical treatments available for arthritis, please visit our Web site at www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com. For more information about arthritis, please visit www.lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com and click on Health Information in the left column. Under Library on the left side of the next page, click on Diseases & Conditions, then click on the letter A and Arthritis.