Orthopedic Surgeon

[ironhorsetim]

I was just told by my PC doctor that I need a hip replacement, anyone have suggestions for an OS around Laconia-Gilford area that they are confident with? Thanks in advance

[Argie's Wife]

I recommend Concord Orthopedics (603) 224-3368

No, it's not the Gilford/Laconia area but we have experience with both practices and prefer Concord Ortho.

[tis]

We like the place right in Gilford. I can't remember the name. If someone else doesn't come up with it, I can get it for you. We really liked the doc we had.

[SIKSUKR]

Don't go to Melvin Village Marina unless you bought your hip there.

[ironhorsetim]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Don't go to Melvin Village Marina unless you bought your hip there.

Thank you too,though I've heard their aftercare isn't all that good either

[ironhorsetim]

I got some serious questions for whomever I speak with, like is 52 gonna mean it would need a replacement for the replacement in say like 10-15 years And recovery time and such,but thank you all for a good start

[Onshore]

My hockey habit has caused me to spend a great deal of time at Concord Orthopaedics. I have no complaints whatsoever about any of the six surgeons I've seen at their offices in Concord.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by ironhorsetim

I got some serious questions for whomever I speak with, like is 52 gonna mean it would need a replacement for the replacement in say like 10-15 years And recovery time and such,but thank you all for a good start

I had a follow-up appointment yesterday—regarding my knee—with an OPA doctor and asked about hip-replacement "longevity".

He said the "early" replacements were running an average of roughly 20 years—depending on your age and how you treat your replacement. Evolving improvements in plastics technology will move that estimate even further out (for you).

I told the OPA staff that my next doctor's appointment was across town—and there was a significant scheduling overlap between the two appointments—"Could they give me directions to the nearest Pizza place, as I didn't want to arrive anywhere hungry".

They promptly wrote out directions to a pizza place—which would have been just fine—but another staffer had overheard the discussion and quietly checked to see if my doctor could see me straight-away.

He did, and both appointments worked out "to the max".

OPA:

[lakers]

excellent orthopedist..did my achilles surgery...

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by ironhorsetim

I got some serious questions for whomever I speak with, like is 52 gonna mean it would need a replacement for the replacement in say like 10-15 years And recovery time and such,but thank you all for a good start

When you say you were told that you need a hip replacement by your PC, do you also feel that you need a hip replacement? Have you tried to live with it and do physical therapy or let time have a chance to heal it etc?

I was told that I needed surgery to repair a tear after they looked at my knee with an office MRI. I met a neighbor who said she had had a miniscus tear and it had healed. She had worn a hinged black brace cuff like thing for a while. I got one but found it uncomfortable so got one without the metal hinges. They wanted to know if I wanted Monday, Wednesday or I could be first surgery on Friday. (Something like that.) Lots of openings.

My knee is just fine now. It hurt for a while. I even used a cane a few times. I think it was probably close to a year before it was back to my not noticing it at all.

Be careful where you go. Think they were in Gilford. Maybe they were good. Who knows? Make sure that whatever you do, you have given your hip time and you know it just will not work out for you.

Then and only then when you have said that you cannot manage, should you consider surgery. Then go to a place like Concord or even Dartmouth or the Boston area if it is a hard surgery.

I once suffered with such awful back pain I almost did not want to live. And it went on for three years. Then it stopped. Two back surgeons in Boston told me that it would get better. Once in a while I have a bad back but most of the time it is ok. Time in things like this can be an ally. Not cancer......then you act fast. Bones..........you can take some time and should.

[tis]

I agree, Lucky. I always say that surgeons want you to have surgery. I think you have to really know that you need it.

I have been "LUCKY", I have never had to have back or knee or hip surgery etc. but I watch friends go through it. Back surgery seems especially tricky. I know some who have had back surgery several times and it is not successful.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by tis

I agree, Lucky. I always say that surgeons want you to have surgery. I think you have to really know that you need it.

I have been "LUCKY", I have never had to have back or knee or hip surgery etc. but I watch friends go through it. Back surgery seems especially tricky. I know some who have had back surgery several times and it is not successful.

Hey I was "Lucky" too. When I moved into my home the older woman across the street told me that she had had several back surgeries and wish she had never had the first one.

I also know a gal in Florida who has had five or six back operations and is worse off than she ever was before. The from the results of the surgeries may be the reason that she drinks too much and is now injured from a drunk driving accident.

So for me it is an aspirin when I need it and sometimes two aspirin. So far so good though. Hope this fellow is "Lucky" also and gives himself time to make sure that he needs surgery. At 52 he may have time to see how he does with healthy eating, good weight, exercise appropriate for his hip etc.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by tis

We like the place right in Gilford. I can't remember the name. If someone else doesn't come up with it, I can get it for you. We really liked the doc we had.

Are you thinking of Orthopod Physician Associates (OPA, up the hill and next door to the Veterinarian.) For a hip-replacement, I'd go somewhere BIG.

A knee-replacement, I'm told, is a much simpler procedure.

I managed to jump in line—right from the reception desk—by asking for the "Physician's-Assistant" for an immediate appointment. After a few x-rays, he planned an appointment with a new doctor with the clinic. I managed to just-now make an appointment for tomorrow (!) with a new physician-associate, Dr. Hogan.

Dr. Lieberman was suggested to me by a Wolfeboro patient, but he can't see me—regarding my knee—until some planets align in 2014.

(He's really booked up).

[WINNOCTURN]

Originally Posted by ironhorsetim

I was just told by my PC doctor that I need a hip replacement, anyone have suggestions for an OS around Laconia-Gilford area that they are confident with? Thanks in advance

I would definitely recommend going to Concord. My wife has had a Hip and Knee done there. I think the group is Concord Orthopedics and ask for DR. Stephen Fox. Number 1 in my book.

Bio
http://www.concordortho.com/physicia...ian.aspx?id=15

[SAMIAM]

Orthopedic Associates in Gilford..........Trashed a rotator cuff skiing several years ago and Dr John Grobman did surgery that totally restored my shoulder.Check them out....also Dr Rock,in the same office is one of the best around.

[NoBozo]

I would get a Second Opinion before replacing anything.

In 1979 I broke my knee. (Fell off a motorcycle) An Orthopedic Surgeon Fixed it. He did a great job. Around 1995 I had some problems with that knee. My primary doctor prescribed NAPROXIN SODIUM for pain and referred me back to the original surgeon.

Over the next three days, I took the Naproxin Sodium and the swelling and inflammation I had had for a YEAR went away. The pain and swelling was GONE.

So I asked the Primary Doctor if he could give me a prescription with lesser strength for the remainder of his two week prescribed regimen. He said I could get a lesser strength "over the counter"....ALEVE. = Naproxin Sodium. It's an Anti Inflamatory.

In the meantime, I went back to the original surgeon the next week and told him everything was looking good and I didn't see any reason to pursue further treatment. He Xrayed the knee and informed me that a NEW KNEE was required and I should schedule the surgery.

WHAT:..??? My knee problem had dissapeared. WHO knows better than ME how my knee feels. I DECLINED his offer to replace my knee. Guess what...My knee has been fine ever since...15 years later....Surgery is a Business. NB

PS: Naproxin Sodium ("Aleve") is an Anti Inflamatory. On the rare ocassions that the knee feels uncomfortable..I take a couple of ALEVES.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

Naproxin Sodium ("Aleve") is an Anti Inflamatory. On the rare occasions that the knee feels uncomfortable..I take a couple of ALEVES.

I had the exact situation with a shoulder injury: Aleve had just been made OTC, and an additional prescription wasn't needed. Although I don't take them all that often, just one can make a difference in relief all day.

You can save a bundle by buying "generic" Naproxin Sodium on the Wal-Mart side of the lake.

Read the label, as some people are restricted to one-a-day.

I agree about getting a second opinion, and would be interested in the longevity of a replacement—anything..

[twoplustwo]

The urgency with which you'll need surgery at OPA is entirely dependent on whether or not you have insurance. Happened twice there with two of us in this household, won't go back. They also have lousy bookkeeping and turned my teenager away for an appointment that she went to alone, insisting we owed them money. We owed them nothing, and she ended up crying in the parking lot after they treated her like white trash for their own mistake. If you request a records transfer for a 2nd opinion, they can't seem to send X-Rays and MRIs after repeated requests. Apparently they get mad when you leave them.

When they first opened, their priority seemed to be quality orthopedic care. Now they are nothing but a money mill, IMO.


Dan O'Neill and his Alpine Clinic in Plymouth are the best there is. I'm thankful OPA pissed me off enough to find him. At the end of April, he took a tendon from my daughter's hamstring and grafted it to her knee and femur, cleaned up a load of trashed tendon and cartilage, and gave her a knee she can live with instead of the constant and painful dislocations she endured a year longer than necessary because of OPA. From the initial consult through the surgery and now her current PT and aftercare, he has been wonderful. His front office is fabulous with the financial end of it, and he does offer a substantial discount on his surgical fees for any patient without insurance. Of the 4 orthos she saw, (3 at OPA and Dan O'Neill), only 1 didn't ask if we had insurance prior to giving us a plan of action on her knee. Can you guess which one that was?


http://www.thealpineclinic.com/

[BroadHopper]

I would get a second opinion. In 2008, I shattered my left humerus skiing. The local orthopedics at LRGH, wanted to repair immediately with a rod and wires technique. My ski buddy, who is a veterinarian, said they don't do rod and wires anymore and insist I get second opinion. The local doctor was p.o.
I visit Dr. Wang at NH Orthopedics in Manchester. Dr Wang practiced in Mass. as well as NH. He is voted one of the Top Doctors by NH Magazine. He sees 10 fractures in the x-rays as opposed to 5 by the original doctor. He also suggest possibly a plate and screws setup, but wants to open the arm and make sure that is what it really needs.

Four and half hours surgery, 13 titanium screws and titanium plate and I am back to normal. I highly recommend you go elsewhere.

[ironhorsetim]

I want to thank you all for the suggestions...I think I'll be looking away from the Lakes area.I have an appointment Tues. at LRGH but will only use that as my starting point. Until then I'm buying a bottle of Aleve I had my back fused at L4-L5 about 10 years ago and loved that Doctor and the outcome but don't want to travel to Mass. Heck I don't even go south of Concord any more....again thank you all.....Tim

[Newbiesaukee]

Although not directly asked for, I have several professional pieces of advice.

1. For any significant medical surgical problems, I would get at least a second opinon.

2. Regardless of what the surgeon tells you about WHEN you will be able to walk, drive, etc., double that estimate of time. It is not that surgeons try to be dishonest, they just have an optimistic rather than a realistic point of view on the simple kind of question such as when "When will I feel normal?"

3. Ask whatever you feel is important, and if you are not comfortable with the answer, go to a different physician. Exception: if you have a very rare condition and only a few physicians have experience with it, then accept a less than nice personality for competence.

4. Ask the surgeon " If you had my problem, who and where would you go for the surgery?" Also ask " If I get a second opinion, what might I be told that would be different from what you are proposing?" The answers might surprise you (or not); but , at the least, will give you a little more insight into the physician.

5. Ask about who you will see for followup care and when?

6. A forum such as this is OK for a beginning, but you usually get specifics on those with bad experiences. The same goes for the internet. However, the internet is useful if you KNOW what you have. Do not diagnose yourself on the internet. You can get an idea of the different techniques for hip replacement if you read reliable websites. DO NOT go into the surgeon's office with reams of internet printouts.

7. The experiences of friends, friends of friends and their friends are not a great way to select medical care, regardless of how well meaning the advice is.

8. Feel free to ignore any of this advice; there are always exceptions to the above. As I said, the internet, including the Forum, is not always the best place to seek medical advice.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee

4. Ask the surgeon " If you had my problem, who and where would you go for the surgery?" Also ask " If I get a second opinion, what might I be told that would be different from what you are proposing?" The answers might surprise you (or not); but , at the least, will give you a little more insight into the physician.

Would you recommend asking if the physician (or surgeon) has "published in his field of expertise"?

(Funny that Google should return 40,000 entries of "Orthopedic" from my search on "Orthopod").

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Would you recommend asking if the physician (or surgeon) has "published in his field of expertise"? ..

It may depend on the field of medicine. In my wife's case there were 2 surgeons at Brigham and Women's in Boston in the field she needed, one spent a lot of time writing and was "well published', the one we chose spent more time in the OR and teaching. Given the outcome we know we made the right choice.

YMMV

[Newbiesaukee]

I think that getting published is not a very useful measure for the average person trying to evaluate a physician. It is not difficult to be published. What really matters is exactly where the physician was published, when it was published (a lot of articles are written during training), etc. In short, very difficult to evaluate if you are not in the field. Also, the best researchers are not necessarily the best physicians.

Having said that, if you have a rare or very difficult medical problem, it might be helpful to try and determine who seems to be doing the most work in this particular area. Usually, it will be someone in a University medical center.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by ironhorsetim

.... and loved that Doctor and the outcome but don't want to travel to Mass. ...

I don't say this to be critical but maybe it is worth the trip to MA, it is in my case or I should say my wife's case. She has doctors in Boston and we make several trips a year, 1 1/2 hours (or more) each way. Her local gastroenterologist felt the expertise she needed was in Boston (Brigham and Woman's). We both know he sent us to the right place.

Give it carefull thought where you go.

[Sal]

Very important to have a "good" doctor. Much more important is to have a "good" hospital where the surgery is to be done and the after-care is to be done. More often than not, it's the hospital that kills people, not the surgeon.
The best hospitals around here are in Boston.

[WinniTroll]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Quality Orthopedics in Concord. Dr Cummings replaced my hip five years ago with Dr Forbes as his surgical assistant. My hair is kinda salt and pepper now after a few years of white. That pain was no fun! Those boys are twice the docs of Dr Fox and alot more personable, less corporate, less expensive, etc. Word on the street is Doc Forbes can put those things in in his sleep. Good luck IHT. I'll talk to you about mine if you like.