I thought this was a very informative article regarding hip replacement surgery. The article lists reasons for a hip replacement surgery. The article goes into a fair amount of information about the surgery itself. What to expect after surgery, complications that may arise and how to care for yourself after the surgery. The article has pictures, and because I am a visual learner, I liked the pictures.
Virtual Hip Replacement Surgery is a science game for and early college and patients and their caregivers to take on the role of a surgeon and complete a hip replacement surgery while learning about the procedure, technology, and health risks and benefits. Activity includes photos of real surgery.
I found this article interesting because the new protocol it addresses seems to help a patient bounce back after surgery, reduces recovery time, and reduces the use of narcotics after surgery. After all, getting back to the routine of life and our daily occupations is what we do in OT!
The skin is the largest organ in the body; as such, it is important to keep it healthy and functioning. Nothing is much worse for skin than severe burns. This easy to understand article takes a look at using plastic surgery to repair badly damaged skin. Some fairly new techniques include microsurgery and tissue expansion. The article also discusses changes in the skin and circulation post-op.
This article is about a man that knew he needed a hip replacement, but dreaded the long recovery of having one. He talked with a surgeon that recommended using an anterior approach for his surgery because it required much less muscle to be cut through. As a result of using the anterior approach, he had an extremely quick recovery and was able to resume all his favorite actives.
This type of arthritis affect the joint of the base of the thumb. This joint tends to wear out and is prone to arthritis early on as we age. There are pictures and the article covers surgeries and other treatments. It often affects those with OA.
This article talks about the four most common upper extremity injuries. They are hand or wrist fractures, hand or wrist sprains, chronic pain, reoccurring acute injuries. I have not had any upper extremity injuries that I can recall, but I'm sure I will some time in my life time. I have had friends to have carpel tunnel and had surgery for it and they still have issues with it, even after the surgery. I seen several severely injured hands in my first semester of clinicals at an outpatient rehab. Not a pretty sight. Hand injuries and other upper extremity injuries happen to all ages and can be the most inconvenient injuries.
This was interesting for me as I had typed many of these surgeries and knew the words, but had never seen it performed. It would probably be a good visual idea of what our patients have been through in order to better treat and sympathize with them.
I had shoulder surgery in July, 2013 due to a very large bone spur and impingement. This web page gives detailed pictures (not graphic) of the steps involved for the same procedure I had. This visual would have been nice to see before my surgery. There is also detailed information about rotator cuff tears and shoulder dislocations.
You may not believe it if I told you to grab some tissues to watch a hip surgery video, but this one will get you! For my much younger classmates, Mary Lou Retton was an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics. She was fun to watch and she had a bouncy, energetic personality to match. She was on the Wheaties box and was just one of those wholesome, American pie type figures for a long time. In this segment, Mary Lou explains her battle with hip dysplasia (her hips were "like plastic" she says, but she did not know this growing up) and her decision to have hip surgery. This video helps future practitioners see the big picture of health, therapy, and life.
This webpage has a simple and easy-to-read infographic that covers a lot of problem areas around the house for post-surgery ambulation for individuals with joint replacement. My father recently had a L TKA and I sent him and my mother this link so that they could make any changes around the house that were necessary for safety.
A guide on what to expect after rotator cuff surgery. This includes some tips on things that you may not have been told about. Things like buying clothes in a bigger size to help with the dressing process and rubbing lotion on your arm every morning and night to prevent your skin from becoming dry and starting to itch.
Here is an example of an OT using the transfer technique I was educated on by the PTA during the mock clinicals. It states in the video that this was her first time getting up since her surgery. I wonder if having the patients on their side right after surgery in frowned upon. I am going to look for more resources about this. From everything I have found, this is the best way to go if they are able to use their upper body.
Splinting and rehabilitation following secondary surgery for PIP Fractures CELERIER Sylvain, Micheline ISEL* Pr MERLE Michel*, Dr Christophe CAMPS*, Dr Alexandre DURAND, Dr Bernard LALLEMAND* Nancy (France) Luxembourg* Congress of the French Society For Hand Therapists Sept 18, 2010 - Lille (France) F. MOUTET, A. FORLI, D. CORCELLA, Ph. PRADEL 2008.
Hip Precautions Handout - I like the idea of sending images home with a patient so they can see what's okay and not okay. It may be overwhelming at the doctor's office and a patient may think they will remember what to do. But having pictures could help jog their memory about what should and shouldn't be done.