Imagine walking into the office of Dr. Patrick S. McNulty, a renowned orthopedic surgeon. You’re there because your knee has been causing you pain, or perhaps it’s your shoulder that’s been troubling you. You’re anxious, you’re unsure, you’re seeking relief. But you’re also curious about what goes on in the world of orthopedic surgery, about those complex procedures that seem more like magic than medicine. In this blog, we’re going to pull back the curtain, demystifying the common procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons. We’ll dive into the hows and whys, breaking it all down in a way that’s easy to digest. All to help soothe that gnawing curiosity, and maybe, just maybe, your aching knee too.

Joint Replacement Surgery

Imagine an old, worn-out hinge on a door. It creaks, it squeaks, it doesn’t swing as smoothly as it used to. This is your joint. Now imagine replacing that hinge with a brand-new one. This is joint replacement surgery. The old, damaged joint is removed and replaced with a new, artificial one. Sounds like magic? It’s science.

Arthroscopy

Imagine if your car mechanic could fix your engine without even opening the hood. Weird, right? But this is exactly what an arthroscopy permits. A tiny camera is inserted into the joint through a small incision. The surgeon can then inspect the joint and perform necessary repairs. No large incisions, no long recovery time. It’s as close to magic as you can get.

Fracture Repair Surgery

Imagine breaking a valuable vase. Now imagine gluing it back together, piece by piece. This is fracture repair surgery. The broken bones are realigned and held together with metal pins, screws, or plates until they heal. It’s not magic, it’s meticulous work.

Spinal Surgery

Imagine a tall stack of coins, wobbling, ready to topple over. This is your spine. Now imagine realigning the coins, making the stack stable again. This is spinal surgery. It’s not magic, it’s precision and skill.

Soft Tissue Repair

Imagine a tear in your favorite shirt. Now imagine sewing it up, making it whole again. This is soft tissue repair. Ligaments, tendons, muscles – they can all be mended through soft tissue repair. It’s not magic, it’s mending.

So there you have it. Orthopedic procedures, demystified. Not magic, but science. Not mysteries, but solutions. And it’s all in a day’s work for surgeons like Dr. Patrick S. McNulty. So the next time your knee creaks or your shoulder aches, remember: relief is possible. And it’s closer than you think.