Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement
Patients who have hip arthritis can benefit from this new technique. It involves a small, usually 1.5-inch incision, to place a complete total hip prosthesis. The normal technique involves an 8- to 10-inch incision. Yes, the entire prosthesis can be inserted into the small incision. The minimally invasive technique has shortened most patients’ hospital stay to two days. Most patents do not have to go to a rehabilitation hospital. Blood loss is usually reduced as fewer muscles, ligaments and tendons are cut. Patients who have undergone bilateral hip replacement surgery report less pain with the minimally invasive technique. Dr. Katzman has invented his own technique for this procedure.

Minimally Invasive Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty
When cartilage in the knee joint deteriorates from age or trauma, the result is arthritis. Most treatments initially involve medicine, cortisone injections, physical therapy and arthroscopy. When these modalities fail, knee replacement surgery is usually the next option. Depending on your surgeon’s experience, most patients can undergo unicondylar knee replacement surgery. This replaces only one arthritic condyle of the knee joint. It has many benefits, both short and long term. Dr. Katzman has more than fourteen years experience with unicondylar knee replacements, so he understands the needs of his patients. My patients have arthritis to the knee, but want to remain active. A total knee replacement usually requires six months of recovery time and a one-month rehab hospital stay is not uncommon. My patients who undergo partial or unicondylar knee replacment rarely go to a rehab hospital because it is just not necessary. They recover so quickly and there is so little pain that they all want to go home.

Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure designed to reduce or eliminate back pain from a broken back (osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures). The procedure is usually done while you are awake, and a needle or trocar is passed into the fractured bone. Then, a balloon is passed through the trocar into the bone. In some fractures, the bone can actually grow or lose its kyphosis. Cement is now injected into the bone. Usually, the pain is gone in less then 24 hours. For an experienced surgeon such as Dr. Katzman, the procedure takes just 20 minutes. The advantages of this procedure are huge. It works well to reduce pain, can be done while you are awake, is relatively painless and can be done as an outpatient procedure. Currently, Dr. Katzman has one of the busiest Kyphoplasty practices in the United States. His experience can be important in making your procedure more rewarding.