SVMC ORTHOPEDICS


Restoring Active Lifestyles

Don’t let pain or injury keep you on the sidelines of your own life.

If pain or injury is holding you back from living the life you want, SVMC Orthopedics can help. The team of board-certified providers is here to provide the individualized treatment and compassionate care you need to get back to leading the life you love. SVMC Orthopedics offers state of the art diagnostic and treatment services, including non-surgical options and same-day joint replacement. 

If you suffer from severe or chronic hip, knee, or ankle pain, total joint replacement may be the best solution. Your orthopedic surgeon will help you understand your options and how joint replacement surgery can help to not just relieve your pain, but get you back to leading a full and active life.

Whether you need a hip replacement or knee replacement, surgeries are performed at SVMC with a rehabilitation program developed in conjunction with our Sports and Therapy department. We offer both in- patient and out-patient therapy options. Some patients are able to return home from a joint replacement surgery on the same day. For patients requiring additional recovery time, the Centers for Living & Rehabilitation (CLR) located on our campus can provide additional extra nursing care and therapy before returning home to fully independent care.

Because getting back to living is the ultimate goal of spinal surgery, the reduced recovery time required by minimally invasive surgery makes it an ideal option for many. 

At SVMC, you’ll be treated by a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon extensively trained in performing minimally invasive spine procedures and creating customized treatment plans. In some cases, you’ll be up and about in a few hours and back to work in a matter of days or weeks, not months.

Injuries to the rotator cuff are not only painful, they can be life limiting. When possible, the fellowship-trained surgeons at SVMC will attempt to treat your injury through non-surgical means, which may include physical therapy, medication, or injections. If those efforts are unsuccessful, your physician may recommend surgery here at SVMC. Utilizing the latest in arthroscopic technology, your repair can be made with only a slight incision, reducing your recovery time and chance of infection.  For more complicated injuries, a more involved surgery or even joint replacement may be necessary.

Regardless of your procedure, your care will continue post-surgery with a comprehensive rehabilitation plan developed in conjunction with our Physical Therapy department.

In addition to being delicate and complex, your hands and wrists are essential to your daily life. At SVMC, we appreciate that an injury or problem can limit your ability to work, play, and generally enjoy life. From fractures and arthritis to deformities and carpal tunnel syndrome, our providers can care for you. They can create a custom treatment plan using the most advanced surgical techniques, devices, and rehabilitation programs to help you maximize function and minimize pain for the best results possible.

The average person experiences two bone fractures in their lifetime. But as common as they are, every fracture is unique. From complex and stress to oblique and greenstick, at SVMC we diagnose and treat fractures with the specific cause and needs of the patient in mind. On-site imaging technology allows us to quickly assess your need and move quickly to begin the mending process. Depending upon the nature and cause of your injury, we may develop a continuing care plan to reduce or eliminate the chance of future injury.

Whether you’re a competitive athlete or a weekend warrior, our board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine specialists can help relieve your pain and get you back in the game or back to your everyday routine.

Our first approach is always conservative, meaning you won’t endure unnecessary treatments or care for your injury. We use the latest techniques and methods to resolve your issue in a manner that’s appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

If your injury does require surgery, it can be performed here, close to home where you can rest and recover in comfort. As part of your care, we’ll develop a personalized recovery plan utilizing the talents and facilities of our on-site Physical Therapy department. Together, we’ll help you recover faster, improve your strength and performance, and reduce the potential for future re-injury.

SVMC Physical Therapy

SVMC Occupational Therapy

Arthritis Today www.arthritistoday.org

National Osteoporosis Foundation nof.org

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons orthoinfo.aaos.org

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine www.amssm.org

Yoga instructor Jane Jezouit had increasing pain in her hip to the point that she had difficulty teaching her yoga classes. In this video, she describes the care she received from SVMC Orthopedics and Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer to get back to her active self.

Les Jorgensen's hip pain made it difficult for him to walk from his living room to his kitchen; never mind enjoy the activities he loves. After a hip replacement with Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, MD, of SVMC Orthopedics, he walks 18-holes of golf three times a week, pain free.

Celia Bahny and her family are very active. Unfortunately, Celia suffered a broken arm (in the same spot twice!) which slowed her down for a spell. Today, she is fully recovered with help from Dr. Matthew Nofziger of SVMC Orthopedics. In this video, Celia and her mother, Holly, discuss her care with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and how we helped get her back to their active lifestyle.

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Avid hiker and guide Keld Alstrup relied on Dr. Matthew Nofziger and the expert team at SVMC Orthopedics to relieve his knee pain and restore his active lifestyle. Now he's back to "peak performance."

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Deborah Slaner Larkin talks about the care she received from Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Dr. Suk Namkoong.

 

332 Dewey Street, Bennington, VT 05201
Phone: (802) 442-6314
Fax: (844) 526-1901

Hours:
Monday – Friday:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Directions: 
For directions to SVMC Orthopedics, click here.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Handling Heartburn
    Anonym
    / Categories: WELLNESS, 2022

    Handling Heartburn

    Heartburn, acid indigestion, agita, GERD… Whatever you call it, this problem has plagued humanity for millennia. It is a sensation of pain in the upper chest, behind the breast bone  or sternum caused by a disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is responsible for a significant portion of the time and money we spend on our health care and has an additional emotional cost; for even in these times of modern science, it is hard to initially differentiate it from an oncoming heart attack. What causes heartburn, and how can we fix it?

    Heartburn, more properly termed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when stomach acid gets up into the esophagus, that muscular tube that connects mouth to stomach. While the stomach, or gastrum, can tolerate extremely acidic fluids, the esophagus is relatively sensitive and gets very irritated with even a little acid exposure.

    There are two scenarios that lead to this irritation. Sometimes, it is an issue of too much acid in the stomach, and it can “spill over” into the esophagus, especially when you lay down. Other times, there is a structural problem with the barrier between these two body parts. The purse-string muscle, or sphincter, that is responsible for closing off the stomach’s upper opening may be loose or otherwise unable to function. Understanding the cause of one’s reflux can help strategize the best treatment plan.

    Usually, doctors can determine the cause of GERD with a few tests. In one of them, a patient has to swallow a chalky barium liquid while an X-ray video is taken. Barium shows up clearly in radiographs, and the physician can see whether the sphincter muscle allows significant leakage. Another commonly used test is the upper endoscopy (EDG) in which an intestinal specialist inserts a flexible fiber optic tube down through the esophagus in to the stomach. They can see if there are characteristic acid burns on the esophageal lining. Additionally, they can watch the sphincter open and close.

    Both the barium-swallow and EDG methods are good at detecting hiatal hernias, too. A hiatal hernia is when part or all of the stomach migrates from its usual position in the abdomen up through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity. Besides causing discomfort, this also strains the sphincter muscle and allows acid leakage.

    Regardless of the cause of GERD, the initial treatment is almost always the same. Sufferers are advised to establish habits that reduce the likelihood of spillover. This is best accomplished by forswearing a habit, such as smoking and alcohol use, that produces extra acid. And as stomach acid is most prone to migrating up where it doesn’t belong when you are laying down, avoid eating right before bed. Sleeping with your upper chest elevated can significantly reduce acid reflux, as well.

    There are also several groups of medications that address the problem. Some agents, such as Reglan, relax the stomach, so it is less likely to contract and push acid in the wrong direction. While these prescriptions really get at the root of the problem and prevent reflux, they also have cardiac side effects and so are rarely used. Other pills reduce acid production, so when the stomach contents splash into the esophagus, they are less irritating. Over-the-counter medications like Zantac and Pepcid fall into this category. The prescription drugs Nexium and Prevacid have essentially the same effect, but they are much more powerful and longer acting. These latter drugs are felt to be very safe short term, but long term use may increase the likelihood of serious health problems, like osteoporosis.

    Surgeries for GERD are reserved for refractory cases and include maneuvers to fix hiatal hernias and procedures to destroy the nerves that trigger acid production. Complications tend to be frequent, and results are often disappointing; therefore, most patients are not offered these options.

    So if you have the symptoms of heartburn, what should you do? First of all, consider seriously whether or not it could be actual heart pain. A visit to your doctor, or even the Emergency Department, could be necessary and lifesaving.

    In the event it is clearly GERD, we usually advise several weeks of lifestyle modification. We recommend no smoking, alcohol, or late night meals and sleeping with the head of your bed elevated. In addition, we recommend a short course of medication. If this does not resolve the issue or if it quickly recurs once treatments are stopped, then specific testing, as noted above, is required. A gastroenterologist (GI) doctor, traditionally directs this work-up. Results of these tests will help determine the best long term management of your particular type of heartburn.

    While acid reflux is usually more of a nuisance than a danger, there are instances when it presents a serious health risk. Sometimes there is so much acid leakage and irritation that the esophagus has callouses and scars and is prone to developing esophageal cancer. This is termed “Barrett’s Esophagus,” and it is typically treated with lifelong medication and frequent endoscopies to monitor for malignancy. Other times, the acid irritation is bad enough to provoke bleeding esophageal ulcers. So please don’t ignore your heartburn. Get emergency medical attention if there is any chance it could actually be your heart, and see your doctor if you cannot cure it on your own within several weeks.

    Patrice Thornton, MD, is a primary care and family medicine physician at SVMC Northshire Campus in Manchester. It is part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.

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