ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS
Choosing the right surgeon for your care can feel like a daunting process. And while reputation of the surgeon is an important factor, there are other things to consider before signing up for a surgery. Finding a doc who takes time to answer your questions and is comfortable with the idea of a second opinion are both good signs. Yet, even more important is finding a surgeon who wants to ensure that you have exhausted all non-operative options before considering surgery. Nowhere is this more important than when considering surgery for your spine.
Spine surgery has returned to Southern Rhode Island. There is now a new site where Orthopedics Rhode Island can offer this type of care. Over the past few years, the collaboration between Orthopedics Rhode Island – South County Division and South County Health has resulted in a joint reconstruction program that has emerged as one of the best in our region of the country. A cornerstone of this program has been implementing technology that improves patient safety and delivers more consistent results. We have also been measuring our effectiveness through patient reported outcomes, and use this data to improve the care we provide. We are now taking what we have learned with joint replacement surgery, and adding spine surgery to our offerings at South County Hospital.
In reality, South County Hospital is not new to spine care. The South County Division of Ortho Rhode Island has performed spine surgery at the hospital as recent as a few years ago. Yet now, we are ready to return to offering these services, while leveraging our experience in delivering quality care throughout the preoperative, in-patient and postoperative phases of care.
I joined Ortho RI in September after having practiced as a spine surgeon for 6 years at State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. During my time in Central New York, I had the opportunity to offer the full spectrum of spine care, from tumor surgery, to trauma care. The majority of my practice however, involved caring for arthritic conditions of the spine. These patients came to me with pain in their arms or legs, and many times had balance issues or coordination problems with their hands. This is the experience I have brought to South County Hospital.
Again, choosing your surgeon is almost as important as choosing to even have a surgery. Spine surgery is a life changing event, and should never be entered into without considerable thought and attempts to avoid it all together. Meeting with someone who can explain all of the options is important; you should leave with a better understanding of what is going on with your body and the impact surgery may have – good and bad. Now at South County Hospital, you have that option, with the help of Ortho RI.
Ian A Madom, MD, MBA
