Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Medical Procedures
The doctors at La Peer Health Systems believe to ensure greatest function, the timing of the procedure must be crucial. La Peer Health Systems employ the most comprehensive, adept and well-trained orthopedic physicians. We can assure you that not only do our nurses, doctors provide top quality health care and emotional support, but also the utmost respect in treating your condition and giving informed advice on how it should be managed. If you have joint pain, have recently been injured, or have other orthopedic related problems, please email or call La Peer Health Systems at (310) 360-9119 . La Peer Health Systems – Department of Orthopedics/Sports Medicine 8920 Wilshire Blvd #101 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 360-9119 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
ORTHOPEDIC CONDITIONSArthritis: Arthritis is inflammation of the joint. Arthritis can affect many different joints, but the areas that are commonly affected are the hands, knees, shoulders, hips, and ankles. It is important to note that there are many different types of arthritis and they have varying causes. The signs of arthritis include swelling, stiffness, decreased joint mobility, warmth around the affected area, and joint pain. The causes of arthritis are genetics, age, autoimmune disease, infection, injury, or a broken bone. The treatment for arthritis is largely behavioral and lifestyle changes. Some at-home treatments for arthritis include taking an over the counter pain relievers, using hot and cold packs, avoid sitting or standing for too long, lose weight if overweight, do low-impact exercises, and massage the affected area. Your doctor may give you a prescription drug to help reduce inflammation. If necessary, the joint may be replaced or rebuilt through surgery. ACL Tears: The knee stabilizes itself with the help of four ligaments, namely the Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligaments (ACL/PCL) and the Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments (MCL/LCL). When one of these ligaments is torn by means of trauma or sports injury, the knee "buckles", or it gives way. These ligaments will also make the knee track an unusual direction rather than its normal movement. Multiple tears in knee ligaments would also lead to more repairs done in the affected knee. The treatment for ACL tears is through surgery. Compartment Syndrome: Compartment syndrome is a very serious condition where the space (the compartment) that houses the nerves and blood experiences an increase in pressure.The danger of compartment syndrome is that the pressure in the compartment can become too much and cut off circulation to the affected limb. If this syndrome is not treated soon enough, the patient may need to have the affected area amputated. Permanent nerve damage occurs after 12-24 hours of the onset of compartment syndrome. One can have chronic compartment syndrome, but most cases of compartment syndrome occur after a trauma, such as a car accident. Compartment syndrome mostly affects the forearm and the lower leg. The symptoms of compartment syndrome include skin paleness, swelling, decreased feeling, severe pain, and weakness in the affected limb. The treatment for compartment syndrome is surgery. The area must be cut open to relive the pressure. It will be left open, with dressing, and then closed in a second surgery. Fractures: A fracture is when a bone in the body is split through entirely or cracked. Fractures are very common in people of all ages. People tend to experience broken bones as they age due to weakening bones and instability. The treatment of a fracture depends on the severity of the break. If the break is severe, then surgery may be required. Most fractures are treated by wearing a cast on the affected area until it heals.
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome): Shin splints is a condition of the lower leg that occurs when there is a lot of pressure placed on the shin and results in pain. The pain is typically localized to the shin area and on the back or side of the shin. Shin splints are often an injury in high-impact sports like running, gymnastics, and basketball. Typically, the tendons and ligaments in the legs absorb the shock during intense activity. Shin splints result when the tendons and ligaments are not effectively absorbing the shock. Other factors that contribute to shin splints are old, worn out shoes, uneven terrain, running on hard surfaces, tight calf muscles, and flat feet. Women are also more likely to develop shin splints than men. If shin splints are not allowed to heal properly, they can progress to stress fractures. The treatment for shin splints includes ice, resting, anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen, Rotator Cuff tear: There are four tendons that connect to the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder region. A rotator cuff tear is when a tendon or muscle in the rotator cuff is torn. In most cases, the tendons are torn. The signs of a rotator cuff tear are pain, pain when moving, tenderness, shoulder weakness, decreased range of motion, and a tendency to keep shoulder from moving. The treatment for a torn rotator cuff depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the tear. However, the common treatments include injections of corticosteroids, rest and physical therapy, a surgical repair of the tear, or shoulder replacement surgery. Shoulder dislocation: A dislocated shoulder is a painful condition when the shoulder becomes dislodged from the joint socket. A shoulder is fairly easy to dislocate because of its anatomy. The location of the doctor must be properly equipped to treat a dislocated shoulder. A traditional doctor’s office is not properly equipped. Hospitals and medical centers are better equipped. Many times, a doctor can readjust the shoulder back into place, but some cases require surgery to readjust the joint. After the joint is put back into place, the patient can be sent home with a sling, to immobilize the arm, and pain relievers. It is important to have your shoulder readjusted because if it is left for too long, it can damage the surrounding tendons and nerves permanently. Sprains: A sprain is when a ligament is stretched or strained. Ligaments are the fibrous tissues that hold the bones together. Sprains typically occur as a result of trauma including a fall, slipping, or getting hit. Sprains can be mild with a stretching of the ligament to severe where the ligament is separated from the bone. The signs of a sprain are pain, swelling, bruising, and joint instability. Sprain treatment depends on the severity of the sprain. If the sprain is more severe, then it is important to see a doctor as surgery may be required. If the sprain is mild, the RICE Method is used:
Sports-Related Knee Injuries: Knee injuries are more common in athletes who play contact sports and to elder people due to the decreased function of the knees, the ones who carries most of the body's weight. The treatment for knee injuries is dependent on the severity of the injury. Different alternatives could be tested when several factors and options don't serve up well. One of which is a conservative treatment which stands for RICE, which was being endorsed by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. The RICE method stands for the following:
For pain management in Arthritis cases, anti-inflammatory drugs, weight management and regular exercise could aid the knee as it builds up strength. Strains: A strain is the stretching or injury of a tendon or a muscle. Tendons are the tissues that connect the muscle and bone together. Strains are caused by overuse of a muscle without adequate rest. The signs of a strained muscle are muscle spasms, pain, muscle weakness, inflammation, swelling, and muscle cramping. If the muscle is torn, the person might be unable to move the affected area. A signs of a moderate strain are pain and a slight loss of muscle function. The treatment for strains depends on the severity of the strain. If it is moderate to severe, it is important to see a doctor as surgery may be required. A patient with a strain may be unable to participate in physical activity until the strain heals. The treatment for a mild to moderate strain is to rest, ice, compress, and elevate the affected area. Knee Arthroscopic Surgery: The purpose of the surgery involves two general surgical classifications- first, an acute injury that destabilizes the knee and second, pain management for floating or displaced cartilage and rough bone. Acute injuries come about from traumatic injuries suffered by the knee tissues such as those suffered in sports accidents. This leads to unstable knees, knee dislocations and deficiency of knee mobility. Pain management surgeries alleviate discomforts of the knee due to Osteoarthritis. As the name itself suggests, it relieves pain and discomfort in the knee area mostly caused by chronic conditions and uses elective surgical procedures to treat bone and cartilage surfaces. Patello-Femoral Syndrome (PFS) : Patellofemoral syndrome is when the cartilage in the underside of the kneecap breaks down or softens. Without good support, a patient's patella without a good support might cause the knee to be shaky and agonizingly painful when you move. The signs of patellofemoral syndrome are an abnormal positioning of the kneecap, tightness in the surrounding muscles, weakness in the surrounding muscles, foot pronation, or by simply overusing the muscles. As the patella is moved, examination can be done by the physician around the surrounding cartilage that has increasing friction. The ease of movement is increased by smoothing the damaged cartilage, which in turn gets rid of pain. A tendon can make the patella track off the center part of the femur. With lateral release surgery, the patella is enforced back in its usual movements. Patellar surgeries offer 90% chance of avoiding a patellar dislocation, despite a feeling of pain and swelling post surgery. Procedures at La Peer HealthTypes of orthopedic surgery: There are specific procedures that can be done on the many joints, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Here is an overview of the type of procedure and the purpose of each one.
Arthroscopic Capsular Release: Capsular release surgery is done to “unfreeze” shoulder joints after they have frozen through injury or trauma. An arthroscopic capsular release surgery has a better outcome and less recovery time than traditional manipulation under anesthesia. The success rate is very high for this type of procedure, and an overwhelming majority of patients regain movement after the procedure.
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery: A procedure performed in the knee-joint area, Knee Arthroscopic Surgery is involved in making a small incision in the skin to repair tissue injuries in bones, tissues and ligaments surrounding the knee and joint. By using an arthroscope, a small instrument used along a guiding lighted scope connected to a television screen. By creating three incisions in the knee, additional instruments could be placed inside. This surgery can be classified into minor and major procedures. The major ones include realigning a dislocated knee and doing grafting operations of the ligaments. The majority of knee arthroscopic surgeries are done usually in an out patient setting under a General Anesthesia, Spinal or Epidural, a regional block or local anesthetic are also sometimes being used. Surgery could commence if enough anesthesia is being administered. An IV Line is tagged upon admission for fluid administration. After surgery, sterile dressings are placed over the incision site while a Brace Wrap is placed in the region surrounding the joint.
Elbow Fracture Fixation: When one fractures one of the bones in the elbow region, surgery may be required to repair the bone. To realign the bone, screws, pins, and splints may be used to assist the bone heal properly. Shoulder Arthoscopy: Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique to repair injury and trauma to the ligaments, tendons, and other cartilage tissues in the shoulder. There are various arthroscopic procedures that can be performed in the shoulder area. These procedures are typically done under general anesthesia and in an out patient facility. The surgery is performed through small incisions where an arthroscope and other instruments are inserted to view and repair the damaged shoulder tendons and ligaments.
Tibia Fracture Fixation: The tibia bone is one of the two bones in the lower leg. It is also called the shinbone. When the tibia bone is fractured, surgery may be used to repair the bone so it heals correctly. From hand, wrist, foot and ankle injuries to tumors of the musculoskeletal system and fractures in early and later life, there is no area of orthopedics that can't be treated by our proficient orthopedic team. Please contact us at (310) 360-9119 and ask to speak to a member of staff in the Department of Orthopedics.
La Peer Surgery Center- Department of Orthopedic Surgery DoctorsDr. Ahluwalia was born in New Delhi. He grew up in India. He attended Medical School at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in India. readmore Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dr. Isaacson has lived in California most of his life. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of California, Santa Barbara readmore Dr. Meier is a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine including care of the shoulder and knee as well as the elbow, hip and ankle. readmore Dr. Millstein was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. He completed his undergraduate studies with honors in mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania readmore Address: 8641 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 205 Beverly Hills, CA, 90211 Dr. Nutig has had a long and distinguished career in orthopedic surgery, and he is proud of his position as one of the senior members of the Beverly Hills Orthopedic Group. readmore Dr. Patel grew up in Orange County and graduated from University of California at Berkeley with honors with a degree in molecular cell biology with an emphasis readmore Dr. Jason Snibbe is a board certified, orthopedic surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills. He specializes in reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. readmore Andrew B. Weiss, M.D. A Los Angeles native, Andrew Weiss, M.D. graduated from the Harvard School and then left Southern California to attend college and play soccer at the University of Pennsylvania. readmore |
