Orthopedic care

Experienced orthopedic doctors in Las Vegas, Nevada

If disease or injury is causing you joint pain, muscle weakness or limiting your mobility, you can put your trust in the experienced orthopedists at Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our orthopedic program provides care for a wide range of conditions, from arthritis to fractures. Our newly opened orthopedic/spine unit added 46 patient beds to our facility, all private rooms and a new physical therapy gym. We also offer nationally-recognized, comprehensive joint replacement procedures for knee and hip replacements and hip fracture treatments.

To learn more about our joint care services, please call (702) 916-5023.

Joint Replacement Pre-Surgery Education

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Orthopedic conditions we treat

Some of the common orthopedic conditions we treat include:

• Arthritis
• Cartilage injuries
• Dislocated kneecaps
• Fractures
• Gout
• Knee dislocation
• Knee pain
• Ligament injuries
• Meniscus injuries
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteochondritis
• Spinal disorders and injuries

Joint replacement surgery

Our experienced orthopedic team can help restore your joints so you can get back to your active lifestyle. One very effective treatment to relieve pain and restore movement to diseased and injured joints is joint replacement surgery. Joint replacement surgery involves replacing diseased and damaged joints either fully or partially with artificial joints.

Candidates for joint replacement surgery

Our surgeons have performed joint replacements on patients who were 16 and on patients who were 100. So, age should not be a deciding factor when determining if joint replacement is right for you.

You may be a candidate for joint replacement surgery if other methods have been ineffective in improving your mobility and relieving your pain and if the potential risks of the surgery aren't greater than its potential benefits.

Joint replacement surgeries we offer

Our certifications from The Joint Commission for knee and hip replacements exemplify our dedication to offering effective joint replacement procedures and giving patients excellent surgical experiences.

Robotic-assisted joint replacement

We now offer robot-assisted procedures for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements. This highly advanced robotic technology transforms the way joint replacement surgery is performed, enabling surgeons increased accuracy.

Our specially trained orthopedic surgeons can treat patient-specific knee or/and hip conditions with the most advanced technology designed to improve patient outcomes. Through a computed tomography (CT) scan of the diseased joint, we can create a 3D model of the patient’s bone anatomy. Surgeons can then create a personalized surgical plan based on the individual's unique anatomy. Also, by targeting only the damaged part of the bone, surgeons can spare the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding the joint.

Benefits of robot-assisted surgery

Compared to traditional surgery, joint replacements performed using robotic surgical systems can offer patients benefits, including:

• Decreased risk of the implant and bone abnormally rubbing together, improving the lifetime of the implant
• Faster recovery from surgery due to minimally invasive techniques used

Knee replacement

Total knee replacement caps the ends of the bones that form the knee joint. A partial knee replacement replaces only the damaged part of the knee joint with a prosthetic implant.

In most cases, total knee replacement is effective in relieving nearly all chronic knee pain. It is important to note that a knee "replacement" is actually a "resurfacing" of the knee joint. The femur (or thighbone) is covered with a metal covering, and plastic is placed on the tibia. The metal and plastic implants smoothly glide against each other, much like natural cartilage. In most cases, the undersurface of the kneecap is also replaced with a plastic surface.

Patients who have had total and partial knee replacements can usually enjoy a wide range of activities, such as walking, bicycling, golfing, swimming and sometimes, tennis. However, the prosthesis is not designed for high-impact sports, such as skiing, basketball and racquetball.

Hip replacement

We are dedicated to maximizing your functionality with less pain. Hip replacement surgery can add to your quality of life and help you quickly return to many of your daily activities. Total hip replacement surgery involves the removal of both the ball (femoral head) and socket (acetabulum) and replacing them with prosthetic implants.

Conditions treated through our orthopedic program include:

• Chronic hip conditions that appear in childhood
• Hip fractures
• Osteoarthritis
• Other degenerative hip diseases, including avascular necrosis (a condition where the head of the femur loses some of its blood supply and actually dies)

Frequently asked questions about hip replacements

If you are considering surgery, it's common for questions to arise. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding hip replacements.

What would you say to be people who are discouraged by their chronic hip pain?

You don't have to live with hip pain or feel sad or helpless. Total hip replacement is a very effective solution that will most likely increase your functionality and mobility. In fact, the patient satisfaction rate is somewhere between 98 and 99 percent.

Also, just because you have a consultation with a hip replacement surgeon does not mean that you have to have surgery. If you are experiencing severe hip pain and aren't sure how to proceed, talk to a well-trained hip replacement surgeon and look at your options.

What are some of the myths about joint replacement surgery, and why are people are hesitant to get the procedure?

Myth #1: Only older people get hip replacements.

The myth that this is an operation for an older person is just that, a myth. Joint replacements are operations for anyone with severely limiting joint pain. We have many patients in their 30s, 40s and 50s who developed severe hip arthritis for one reason or another. After they receive a hip replacement, their pain goes away.

Myth #2: Hip replacements only last 10 years

After 10 years, 92 to 95 percent of patients who have had hip replacements do not need another surgery. We tell patients a good rule of thumb is that for every year you've had the joint replacement in, there's about a one percent chance you'll need another surgery. So, by 10 years it's 10 percent, by 20 years it's 20 percent, by 30 years it's 30 percent.

Myth #3: You’ll be recovering in bed for weeks.

Most patients spend approximately an hour and a half in the operating bed during a hip replacement procedure. After about two hours following the surgery, we encourage patients to get up and start walking. That gets the hip moving, improves the range of motion, and it prevents blood clots. Most patients go home the day of surgery; some patients stay in the hospital for one night.

Myth#4: Total hip replacement is the only option

There are other procedures, like hip resurfacing, which treat the same problem as [total] hip replacement. Hip resurfacing allows for higher functionality. For example, patients treated with hip resurfacing can run long distances and play professional sports.

Our orthopedic care team

We take a multidisciplinary approach to orthopedic care. Our team members have all dedicated their careers to orthopedic medicine and will be there for you every step of the way.

Our experienced team includes:

• Case managers
• Orthopedic specialists
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Physical therapists
• Physician assistants
• Registered nurses