MCM’s certified joint care helps you get going again
M
edical Center of
McKinney (MCM)
achieved total
hip and knee joint-replace-
ment recertification from
The Joint Commission. This
recertification recognizes
MCM’s dedication to con-
tinuous compliance with
The Joint Commission’s
rigorous, state-of-the-art
standards.
MCM’s Inpatient Reha-
bilitation Center provides
comprehensive physical
rehabilitation services as a
continuation of your care.
Our team of rehab profes-
sionals provides individual-
ized treatment plans to
help patients become as
independent as possible
in activities such as daily
living, including mobility
and homecoming skills,
and facilitate re-entry into
the home following a joint-
replacement surgery.
IS YOUR HIP
just not hopping like it used to? Is your
knee now needing a lot of attention? Or is your shoulder
shouldering more than its fair share of pain?
If so, then it may be time to think about replacing that
joint—especially if you’ve tried other things, like taking
medications and exercising, and you still hurt.
Here’s what you need to know about this potentially
life-changing surgery.
OUT WITH THE OLD
Like many things, joints can eventu-
ally wear out. Age, injury and diseases such as arthritis
may take a toll. Your favorite activities—even everyday
life—can become difficult and uncomfortable.
Joint replacement involves surgically removing a dam-
aged joint and inserting one made of plastic, metal or both
in its place. In some cases, surgeons cement the pieces of
the new joint into existing bone. Over time, bone grows
around the artificial joint, holding it in place. The replaced
joint will function just like a healthy joint.
Hips and knees are the most commonly replaced
joints. But ankles, fingers, elbows and shoulders can also
be replaced.
GET BACK IN THE GAME
WITH JOINT REPLACEMENT
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Typically, you spend at least
a few days in the hospital following joint replacement
surgery. You’ll begin using your new joint right away.
Physical therapy will help you strengthen your muscles
and improve your range of motion.
Once you’re home, it will be important to exercise with
your doctor’s guidance. Eating well and taking medica-
tions as directed are also key to recovery.
Sometimes there are restrictions on what you can do
with your new joint. Running and singles tennis may be
discouraged if you’ve had hip or knee replacement, for
example. But most people return to active lifestyles. De-
pending on the type of surgery you have, full recovery
may take several weeks to six months.
To learn if joint replacement surgery is right for you,
speak with your doctor.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; National Institutes of Health
HERNIA HELP
HERNIAS ARE COMMON
and can occur in both men
and women in equal proportions and at any stage of life.
A hernia is defined as an abnormal protrusion, or
bulging out, of part of an organ through the tissues that
normally contain it. In this condition, a weak spot or
opening in a body wall, often due to laxity of the muscles,
allows part of the organ to protrude.
So, is it possible for a person to
have a hernia and be unaware of
it? “Yes, it is,” says Eric R. Dritsas,
MD, a board-certified general sur-
geon on staff with Medical Center
of McKinney. “A number of my
patients walked around with a
hernia for quite a while before they
knew they had one. Some people
may not experience symptoms of
a hernia. Yet, as time goes by, hernia repair surgery will
generally become necessary since hernias continue to grow.”
If hernia symptoms do occur, they are commonly de-
scribed as discomfort and pain related to the hernia itself.
The discomfort may worsen when a person stands, strains
or lifts heavy objects. Many people will notice an uncom-
fortable lump or bulge that has become bigger over time.
Hernias can be found in these areas of the body, :
●
Groin. An inguinal hernia (more common in men)
is a bulge in the groin that may reach the scrotum, or
a femoral hernia (more common in women) gives a bulge
just below the groin.
●
Belly button. A bulge around here is produced by
an umbilical hernia.
●
Upper part of the stomach. Hiatal or hiatus hernia is
the upper part of the stomach pushing up out of the ab-
dominal cavity and into the chest cavity via an opening
in the diaphragm.
●
Surgical scar. A past abdominal operation can lead to
an incisional hernia through the surgical scar.
“Hernias aren’t necessarily dangerous in and of
themselves,” Dr. Dritsas says. “However, they don’t get
better or go away on their own, and it is possible for a
hernia to lead to other health problems. For this rea-
son, surgery to repair the opening in the muscle wall
is often recommended to fix a hernia that’s painful or
becoming larger.”
HERNIA SURGERY OPTIONS
Depending on specific
needs, Dr. Dritsas provides his patients with either
conventional or minimally invasive laparoscopic hernia
repair surgery. Each option is an outpatient procedure
that usually takes less than an hour, making it possible
for most patients to return to their daily activities fairly
quickly.
“The goal of the surgery is to repair the weak tissue in
the abdominal wall so that the intestine and other tissue
can’t push through it again. Generally, the earlier the repair,
the smaller the hernia, and the less trauma from surgery,”
Dr. Dritsas says. “Typically, a more rapid recovery is experi-
enced with smaller hernias. Therefore, it may be beneficial
to seek medical attention sooner rather than later.”
Find out more about joint
replacement surgery at MCM at
To nd a doctor at MCM, visit
and click on “Find a Doctor.”
Eric R. Dritsas, MD
F A L L 2 0 1 4 | W W W. M E D I C A L C E N T E R O F M C K I N N E Y . C O M
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