Pottstown Memorial Medical Center (PMMC) is rapidly becoming the hospital of choice for patients who need orthopedic services in suburban Philadelphia. A comprehensive expansion of our entire orthopedic department is adding more top-notch surgeons from around the country to our current staff of skilled orthopedic specialists.
    "We're providing big city medicine in the suburbs," says Glenn Lipton, MD, one of the most recent additions to PMMC's expert orthopedic team. To illustrate, Dr. Lipton points to PMMC's recent investment in state-of-the-art technology, which allows doctors to more quickly and clearly diagnose and treat orthopedic conditions in sports-injured youngsters to the elderly.

Three-dimensional imaging

    One of the most noteworthy advances in orthopedics applauded by Richard Whittaker, MD, has occurred in medical imaging. Dr. Whittaker joined PMMC as an orthopedic surgeon 30 years ago. Today, he says, new imaging technology helps him make better diagnoses, faster. Orthopedic surgeons can now visualize fractures in three-dimensional images, allowing them to directly approach the fracture using minimally invasive surgery, or MIS, the new catch phrase in orthopedics.
    "This new technology enables us to implant the hardware in the most advantageous position," says Dr. Whittaker.
    New imaging equipment also benefits the surgeon and patient in the operating room. PMMC employs a very modern device called a C-arm, which enables the orthopedic surgeon to visualize the fracture while it is being repaired.
    MRIs have become very valuable tools for orthopedists at PMMC, particularly in sports medicine. An MRI scan allows the orthopedist to diagnose soft tissue conditions and evaluate ligament injuries in the knee, or any joint for that matter. MRIs enable the orthopedist to pinpoint tears in the muscle and evaluate ligament injuries. MRIs also help patients with back pain. These scans can assess the status of intervertebral discs, particularly herniated discs.  

    Durable total joint replacement

    Total joint replacement is one of the best examples of how far orthopedics has come in recent years. In the past, a patient whose knees or hips were failing had to suffer and chalk it up to the aches and pains of growing older. Most senior patients would not attempt the surgery and younger people usually didn't want to consider it either because artificial joints of the twentieth century were simply not up to par. All that has changed.
    During total joint replacement today, a surgeon removes an arthritic or damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial joint called a prosthesis. Today's prostheses are more durable. Patients are able to begin walking within days, even hours of a replacement procedure, and they experience much faster and less painful rehabilitation after surgery. Unlike their older counterparts, today's prosthetic joints are less likely to become loose with wear, leading to a much longer lifespan of the total joint replacement. Patients attest to the greater mobility of the artificial joint itself. Younger patients - including Stephen Gonzalez, 57, of Birdsboro, shown in our cover photo - are electing to have the joint replacement surgery and resuming an active lifestyle quickly.

New anesthesia techniques

    Recent advances in pain medication, including new anesthesia techniques, also benefit patients who choose minimally invasive surgery. Anesthesia is better and safer. Dr. Whittaker says he has performed surgery on several 100-year-olds - you read that right - who never would have been candidates for surgery in years past. He credits advances in medicine which support a very old patient's heart and lungs during the operation.
    Modern medicine allows medical staff to monitor the patient's medical condition during the entire operation. And of course, the new pain medications help these same patients recover more comfortably and quickly, so they can start rehabilitating their joints and muscles.
    There is no excuse to ache, to limp, to groan each time you take a step. Call one of the PMMC orthopedic specialists listed on page 5. We are committed to providing optimum care for orthopedic patients of every age. And, you no longer need to travel a great distance for great     orthopedic care. It's right here in your own backyard.
    For more information, click on PMMC's Discovery Hospital link at www.pottstownmemorial.com and then click on "Bone, Joint & Muscle" along the left-hand column of the home page.