WMBFNews.com | Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC | News, Weather, SportsSurgical program provides new hope for chronic pain

Surgical program provides new hope for chronic pain

By Meghan Miller - bio | email

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Millions of Americans face chronic pain each day, but for many battling against painstakingly sore and stiff joints along the Grand Strand, a new surgical procedure could end the suffering.

Dr. Peter Ramsey and a team of surgeons at the Conway Medical Center are spearheading a new joint replacement program, targeting patients who experience chronic pain in their hips and knees. The interdisciplinary program, teamed with aggressive therapy, has joint replacement patients up-and-moving just hours after surgery.

Ramsey says it's a unique approach to a common surgery that has the potential to be life changing for his patients.

"The best patient for the procedure is somebody who has been dealing with pain and really has had their lives start to be affected by it," he said.

Joseph Shahbazian, of Conway, knows the feeling of chronic pain all too well. Arthritis in his knee had the 77-year-old living his life from a motor scooter for the last 20 years.

"[It was] terrible pain," Shahbazian recalled. "I couldn't actually stand like a man."

That was until a month ago, when Shahbazian said he had enough of living life on the sidelines. Disgruntled he couldn't even operate a car, Shahbazian sought out the help of Ramsey and the Conway Medical Center to put an end to the pain.

The 77-year-old opted for one of six minimally-invasive surgeries offered through the Joint Replacement Center - a total knee replacement. Shahbazian, however, says he didn't have any down time to nurse his new joint.

"I walked around the nurse's desk and then they had me going up and down steps," he said, remembering the hours following his procedure.

It's that trick - aggressive, instantaneous therapy - that Ramsey says allows his patients to rehabilitate in a faster fashion.

"Most patients do better when they rehab faster," claimed Ramsey. "There [are] a number of studies that show not only patients are more satisfied, but they return home faster and get back to their lives quicker."

For Shahbazinan, that means getting back to mowing his lawn, taking care of his home and being able to fend for himself with little assistance.

Less than one month post-op, the 77-year-old says he has been able to ditch his motor scooter for a walker, putting one foot ahead of the other for a quick recovery.

The Conway Medical Center offers total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, knee replacement revision, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing and total hip replacement revision under the new program.

For more information on the Joint Replacement Center at the Conway Medical Center and dates of upcoming seminars regarding the surgery, call (843) 347-8108.

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