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Ground breaking minimally invasive knee replacement offers an exciting new option for South Florida residents suffering with chronic knee pain and arthritis.
Delray Beach, FL – March 16, 2009 – For Immediate Release – Delray Beach, Florida Orthopedic surgeon David N. Buchalter of South Palm Orthopedics leads the way with a minimally invasive knee replacement technique dramatically cutting recovery time and improving outcomes!
Knee replacements have been around for 40 years but traditional surgery has, in the past meant lengthy hospital stays, substantial pain and a long recovery for the patient. Delray Beach Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. David Buchalter has turned the world of knee replacements on its head in South Florida by offering a minimally invasive procedure using incredibly advanced computer-assisted techniques and equipment ( that’s right, a global positioning system GPS) that decreases the size of a patient's incision without sacrificing precision.
For patients, minimally invasive knee replacement surgery means significantly less scarring and much smaller incisions, less pain, less risk of infection and much speedier recovery times. Patients in South Florida contemplating knee replacement surgery will be thrilled to learn that Dr. Buchalter is one of the few surgeons in the country using this technique and has already perfected and successfully performed hundreds of these operations on patients who were reluctant to undergo knee replacement and instead lived with chronic pain and debilitation.
Dr. Buchalter commented, “Not only have the length of hospital stays been decreased, but patients are now able to walk for 30 minutes without the use of a cane just one month after surgery. With the computer I am able to use detailed information to assist with the alignment of the implants during surgery, dramatically improving the accuracy of the surgery. The better the alignment, the faster the recovery, and the more likely the knee replacement will last over 20 years. It takes a significant amount of training and dedication to learn this method. As a surgeon who performs 200 total knee replacements a year, I am one of the very few surgeons in the country using this technique. Many of my patients who have had knee replacement drive to my office two weeks after surgery telling me they’re no longer in pain! I am thrilled to be offering this exciting procedure to the community.”
Boynton Beach resident Jean Hammer had lived with chronic arthritis and severe knee pain for years. In recent months she had been unable to walk more than a few feet and needed assistive devices to get around and was in constant pain. In January of this year Dr. Buchalter performed the one hour procedure on her and within weeks she was walking again with no assistive device. “I am so grateful to Dr. Buchalter. I had been terrified to have my knee replaced because of the long and hard recovery”, commented Mrs. Hammer. “To my astonishment, the pain was manageable and within a few weeks I was walking again without any help or device. By week four I was able to walk the entire mall with no pain or difficulty! I am completely pain free and have my life back.”
Even more technological advances are under way. Dr. Buchalter been chosen to be a leading investigator who will be performing custom knee replacements. Before surgery, special x-rays are taken and sent to a company that makes instruments that are designed to be used only in that selected individual. Dr. Buchalter is looking forward to bringing this latest innovation to South Florida.
Dr. David N. Buchalter is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who trained at Hospital for Joint Disease in New York City, one of the largest and most prestigious orthopedic training hospitals in the country. After completion of his residency, he did specialized fellowship training in joint replacement surgery, sports medicine surgery, and in trauma surgery. He spent time studying throughout Europe, and was involved in some of the early research on cartilage transplant and cartilage regeneration procedures.
Dr. Buchalter has been in practice in South Florida for 16 years where he has been active in the medical community. He is former Chief of Surgery at Delray Medical Center and has been the chairman of numerous hospital-based committees. Currently he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delray Medical Center.
Dr. Buchalter has performed well over 1000 total hip and total knee replacements and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Less then 5% of the orthopedic surgeons in the country are members of this society, which includes physicians who specialize in total hip replacements and total knee replacements. He is one of the few surgeons performing the less invasive hip replacement surgery and the only one locally who is performing the less invasiveknee replacement using GPS.
Knee replacements no longer have to be a painful procedure with a lengthy recovery.
If you are suffering with chronic knee pain from arthritis, schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Buchalter today by calling South Palm Orthopedics.
About South Palm Orthopedics
South Palm Orthopedics has been providing quality, comprehensive orthopedic care to Palm Beach County for over 15 years and is conveniently located in Delray Beach, Florida. Staffed by three fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, Dr. David Buchalter, Dr. Steve Meadows and Dr. Russell Weisz, South Palm Orthopedics offers specialized treatment in all areas of orthopedics including arthroscopy, minimally invasive joint reconstruction using computer navigation, sports medicine, hand and wrist surgery, shoulder surgery, shoulder replacements and reverse shoulder replacementas well as trauma and fracture repair.
Call (561) 496-6622 or visit www.SouthPalmOrthopedics.com or www.SouthFlaKneeSurgery.com
For Press inquiries contact Mary Hall at iHealthSpot, Inc. (877) 709-0999 mhall@ihealthspot.com
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