In This Issue
New Hip Gives This Patient a Trip
Seminar Online
Staying Informed
Tips to Avoiding Hip Dislocation
Meet Karla
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New Hip Gives Mary a Trip!

"I had a hip replacement a year ago.

 

"This past August I was in Africa and doing a little trekking with a group.

 

"I love Africa and couldn't have done the trip without my new hip.

 

Thanks, Dr. Zehr."

 

- Mary Bolen



Our website is full of testimonies like Mary's - patients who are living pain-free lives. You can read them here. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send us photos and stories for our office "Wall of Fame." We invite you to share your success story too, just hit "Reply!" 
 

Seminar Online

Video link
   

There are no live seminars scheduled, but we want to remind you that the entire educational seminar "Joint Arthritis - What's New, What Works" is available for viewing online, either in its entirety or in segments.

 

Stay Informed

In our July 29 newsletter we discussed advances in total knee replacement surgery. Be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so you don't miss future issues. You can read past issues  in our archive.

Our website is chock-full of educational information too, and we are constantly adding short articles to our blog, where you can choose to read about hips, knees, general orthopaedics and health or catch up on our latest news.
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Issue: #30
August 21, 2014

 

Patients will always seek the best in care and skill that they can find when faced with a difficult medical decision. The medical profession in general and orthopaedic surgery in particular is constantly evolving, driven by informed patient demand and improved technology.

 

Health care reform is a national conversation that may result in changes at the federal level which will continue to strain the patient / physician relationship as time, money and complexity of the crisis may cause us all to compromise on our expectations.

 

Although we cannot see the immediate future of the medical profession, our vision of what medicine should be is crystal clear! We are always thrilled to share this vision with each patient who seeks our care.

 

If you have any questions about our vision for your health care, please don't hesitate to call us 239-596-0100.

 

Warm regards, 
Robert J. Zehr, M.D.

Avoid dislocating your hip with these tips 

   

 

New surgical methods such as the direct anterior approach to total hip replacement, advanced technology, and improvements to hip implants have combined to reduce the number of hip dislocations following hip replacement surgery. The risk of dislocating the hip following surgery has not been entirely eliminated, however, therefore it is wise to take some precautions during your recovery from hip surgery.  

 

The direct anterior approach to hip replacement, which Dr. Zehr prefers for primary hip replacement, is far less restrictive and you may find that these precautions are unnecessary. 

 

These precautions focus on keeping your hip in a safe position while the soft tissues of the hip joint heal. You will want to avoid bending the hip back, turning your hip and leg out or spreading your leg outward.

  • Walk with short steps to avoid stretching your hip back
  • Use both knees when you kneel done to avoid stretching the hip back
  • To keep your leg from turning or rolling out while lying on your back in bed, place a pillow next to your hip
  • Keep the toes of your affected leg pointing forward when you sit, stand or walk
  • Prevent your leg from bending up and out when getting in or out of the bathtub by lifting it straight up and over the edge of the tub
  • Consider using a raised commode, grab bars and an adjustable tub or shower bench in the bathroom
  • You may need to elevate your couch, chair or recliner to a height of at least 20" off the floor, in order to avoid bending your hip beyond 90 degrees
  • Arrange your shelves and cupboards so that frequently used items are between waist and shoulder height; avoid bending over too far at the hip by using a grabber tool to retrieve items on lower shelves

In most cases, hip replacement patients are able to work with a physical therapist before having hip surgery performed and will continue for up to 3 months afterward, keeping precautions in place. We will advise you as to when it is safe to extend your range of motion.

 

Call the Zehr Center today at 239-596-0100 to discuss the benefits of the direct anterior approach to hip replacement.

 

Meet Orthopaedic Nurse Karla Lengacher,  RN

   

Karla's primary nursing background is in the cardiovascular ICU and critical care areas. She has also worked in a pre-op/recovery outpatient orthopaedic surgery center and a neuro/spine outpatient surgery center. Karla joined Zehr Center Orthopaedics in November of 2010.

 

Karla works the clinical side of the office and, along with seeing patients, does all of the surgery scheduling for Dr. Zehr, including obtaining surgical clearances for surgery.

 

Born in Goshen, Indiana, Karla moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 2nd grade so it is no wonder that she enjoys relaxing by the pool in the warm Florida sunshine! Dubbed the "warm fuzzy one" in the office, she also enjoys reading and cooking for her family. Karla has a 27-year-old daughter and a 26-year-old son, and two grandsons, three-years-old and six-weeks-old, who she says are "the light of my life."

Meet the rest of the ZCO staff.