| Orthopedics
State-of-the-art facilities, an award-winning
joint replacement program and a team of highly specialized, board certified
surgeons come together to make Upper Chesapeake Health (UCH) the region's
leader in orthopedics and spine care. UCH provides a full range of
services at two campuses: Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (UCMC) in
Bel Air and Harford Memorial Hospital (HMH) in Havre de Grace.
"We
have always had an excellent orthopedics program," says William
P. Cook, IV, M.D., Division Head of UCH Orthopedic Surgery, "but
our program more than doubled after the new hospital in Bel Air was
built ten years ago. Our team grew from three surgeons to 14 surgeons
and our services increased accordingly to meet the needs of the community."
The
Upper Chesapeake Joint Center offers a unique team approach to joint
replacement surgery that promotes healing and gets patients back to
a more active lifestyle. "A patient-focused posture by our entire
team is one of UCH Orthopedics' most notable assets," Dr.
Cook says. "The majority of our nursing and rehabilitation team
live in the community. They are experienced professionals, committed
to the recovery and well-being of our patients."
Upper Chesapeake
Health's orthopedic program features the newest minimally invasive
procedures that have become the standard of care for this specialty.
The Joint Center offers minimally invasive total joint procedures,
including knee and hip replacement. UCH Orthopedics also offers minimally
invasive rotator cuff repair and a full range of arthroscopic procedures.
Marked improvements in the durability of joint implants make them available
now to a much younger, more active patient population.
One of the newer minimally invasive joint
replacement procedures being performed at UCH is anterior hip replacement,
an approach that allows the surgeon to reach the hip from the front,
instead of the side or back. This way, the hip can be replaced without
having to detach any muscle tissue and the incision is considerably smaller.
"Anterior hip replacement results in much less pain and a faster recovery,"
Dr. Cook says. "We have even done this as an outpatient procedure in
select patients."
Patients suffering from back pain
find a comprehensive approach to treatment at the UCH Spine Program,
beginning with non-surgical interventions that include physical therapy
and injectable therapies. When surgery is required, minimally invasive
spine surgery techniques, including some outpatient procedures, are available.
"We
also offer artificial disc replacement, a new alternative to spinal fusion
surgery, using the most recent technique," Dr. Cook explains. "Outpatient
rehabilitation and inpatient physical therapy services are available
at both hospitals as well as at our Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitative
Services at the Y in Abingdon."
As a result of its recent affiliation with the
University of Maryland Medical System, UCH anticipates even more growth.
"The investment in our hospitals by the University of Maryland Medical System
will allow us to expand both our exceptional patient services and stateof-
the-art equipment," Dr. Cook says. "We are excited about
this partnership because it secures our future— and it keeps us
on the leading edge!"
For
a referral to one of our orthopedic surgeons call HealthLink
at 800-515-0044 or click on the links below.
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