Hartford Business Journal

26 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | April 11, 2022 SPONSORED CONTENT Steven Schutzer, M.D. Physician Executive of Orthopedics Trinity Health Of New England Putting the Spring in Your Step: Trinity Health Of New England Leads the Way in Orthopedics A s winter in New England finally starts to melt away, you're probably starting to get excited to return to the outdoor activities you love to do best. Whether it's hiking, kayaking, or tossing a baseball around, don't let an injury hold you back from doing what you love. The orthopedic team at Trinity Health Of New England are here to help. In a conversation with Steven Schutzer, M.D., Physician Executive of Orthopedics for Trinity Health Of New England, we discuss the innovative surgical and nonsurgical treatments and specialized orthopedic care they offer. Q: What set's Trinity Health Of New England's orthopedic services apart from the crowd? A: Quite honestly it goes back to our roots 16 years ago, when 10 orthopedic surgeons from competing practices and affiliated with three different hospitals came together to create a destination site for joint replacement. We made a commitment to standardize our care for patients and focus on data driven decisions. Those two points launched our evolution as a value-based organization, and our model and culture of caring took off from there. Now, Trinity Health Of New England's orthopedic services are made up of four institutes: the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute (CJRI), Spine Institute of Connecticut, the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute, and the Connecticut Orthopedic Trauma and Fracture Institute. We are a highly functioning, well-oiled machine with all participants dedicated to the same product: 5-star patient experience, delighted patients and excellent outcomes. Furthermore, as a regionalized system, all of our patients within our Trinity Health Of New network, now have the full benefit of these services, despite their geographic location. Q: Trinity Health Of New England's team of Orthopedic experts provide both surgical and non-surgical treatment plans. Why is it important to explore all options before taking a surgical approach to treatment? A: Our bodies are amazing. We all come with remarkable preloaded evolutionary systems that can help solve many orthopedic problems. Quite often, these problems can be resolved with simple consultation and advice, physical therapy, or other nonsurgical interventions. As with so many other medical arenas, physical therapy has evolved during the pandemic. Now, patients can do PT virtually with their therapist, going over programs to help them stretch and strengthen from the comfort of their home. But let's face it, in some cases, surgery is still the best option. We do more than 3,000 total joint replacements a year at CJRI. Advances in technology and anesthesia allow for faster recovery times and even greater quality of life after these procedures. We use the latest imaging tools, which support faster, more precise diagnosis to develop customized treatment plans. And our patients have access to the latest minimally invasive treatments and techniques including robotic-assisted surgery. These techniques lead to more precise procedures and may result in a shorter, easier recovery. Q: Joint replacement surgeries have advanced significantly in recent years. What are the latest developments and how do they impact an individual's ability to have even better long- term quality of life? A: I would say the most impactful innovation in the past 20 years has been in the quality of the bearing surface material. Specifically, cross-linked polyethylene was introduced in 2000. In my practice, now 22 years later, the x-rays of these patients I did then look just as good as the day I put them in. That is remarkable. This new polyethylene has been a game changer especially for patients who have a joint replacement at a young age and want to be able to live without worry about the need for revision surgery. Contemporary surgical techniques have advanced so far that 90% of patients are up and walking within a few hours of surgery! Robotic- assisted surgery seems to make a big difference. CJRI has become one of the largest robotics programs in the country, providing surgeons with a tool to virtually assure that every hip and knee replacement is as close to perfect as possible. And finally, let's mention preoperative preparation. We help patients prepare for surgery with informational classes, a home safety evaluation, and when indicated, a "prehab" program: an exercise program that you start before your operation to help you recover faster. In summary, we are proud to have worked diligently over many years to offer seamless end-to- end continuity of care for our patient's orthopedic problems right here in Connecticut. If you need us, we are here for you with a vast array of preventive, non-surgical, surgical, rehabilitation services and more. To learn more visit TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Ortho

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