Mark W. McFarland, DO In my practice as a Spine physician, I see a variety of injuries and illnesses in my office every day which pertain to the spine, back and neck. An interesting condition that I sometimes treat is that of a patient whose spine has lost its natural curvature in the lumbar region,… Read more »
Category: Orthopedic Surgery
Will Insurance Deny my Hip Replacement Surgery if I’m a Smoker? (A Web Chat Question)
Moderated by Boyd W. Haynes III, MD That’s a fantastic question. Currently, insurance companies do not take smoking status into consideration when choosing to approve or deny joint replacement surgeries. However, we have a lot of scientific research that proves that smoking is quite detrimental to bone growth, blood circulation, bone and soft tissue healing… Read more »
Two Questions about the ROMTech Bike for Knee Replacement Surgery Rehab at Home (Webchat Questions)
Moderated by Boyd W. Haynes III, MD If my insurance doesn’t cover the ROMTech® bike, can I rent it? I love motivated patients! It has been my experience that most insurance companies fully cover the ROMTech® bike, for about three weeks of patient usage in their home while rehabilitating from knee replacement surgery. After three… Read more »
Five Reasons to Request an Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Center for Your Procedure
Boyd W. Haynes III, MD Making the decision to have an orthopaedic surgery is a big deal. It involves coordinating many moving parts, like your work, your family, and your responsibilities. Who will care for you while you recover? Will your insurance cover the cost fully or how much will you have to pay out… Read more »
In a Virginia Peninsula First, Dr. Mark McFarland performs Lumbar Fusion using the Globus Sable®Expandable Lumbar Interbody Cage
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mark W. McFarland, DO performed a Lumbar Fusion on a 57-year-old female using the Globus Sable® Expandable Lumbar Interbody Cage at Mercy Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, VA on October 21, 2021. “My patient had spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine…. Read more »
When Can I Vape Again After Orthopaedic Surgery? (A Web Chat Question)
Moderated by Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD My answer is never. Use the break that your surgery afforded you as a great opportunity to quit your smoking habit for good. Smoking/vaping is very detrimental to healing after orthopaedic surgery especially as bone needs high levels of oxygen rich red blood cells to repair and mend after… Read more »
The Subvastus Approach to Knee Replacement
Boyd W. Haynes III, MD Orthopaedic surgeries evolve with the advancement of technology, surgical instrumentation, surgical technique, and pain management. The knee replacement is no different and has been through many iterations of approaches, implant types, differing implant material composition, etc., all with the goal of delivering the best patient outcome and the most highly… Read more »
I Just Had Orthopaedic Surgery, so Why Does My Throat Hurt So Badly?
Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD The title of this article is a question that was asked recently by a patient over our webchat line that I thought would make a fantastic topic for discussion. I often hear this complaint from my patients as I am a spine surgeon and the requirements for spine surgery anesthesia are… Read more »
Physical Therapy for Bunion Repair Surgery
Jamie Swale, DPT Bunion Repair Surgery is a common surgery of the foot, more often performed for women in middle age, but certainly seen in men and in other age groups as well. Bunion Repair Surgery or bunionectomy, can be complex and require foot reconstruction by a qualified foot and ankle orthopaedist to be done… Read more »
Five Signs to Take Neck Pain Seriously
Mark W. McFarland, DO I’m certain that there isn’t one of us who hasn’t had neck pain at some point in their life – we’ve slept funny and woke up with a “crick” in our neck or we painted the ceiling, or we did something that made our neck hurt. Usually, with a little TLC,… Read more »