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Blue Cross Member Update Northeast Orthopaedics and Empire Blue Cross Reach Agreement! Our doctors will remain participating physicians. 2/18/08 Dear Blue Cross Member, IIn a letter dated 1/25/08, you were informed that Northeast Orthopaedics would no longer be a participating provider with Blue Cross due to an impasse in contract negotiations. We are pleased to report that our recent negotiations have resulted in renewal of our contract and therefore Northeast Orthopaedics’ Physicians will continue as participating providers with Blue Cross. We ask that you disregard our notice of termination. Thus, if you are currently being treated by one of our physicians, that relationship continues with no interruption. IIf based on our prior notice, you chose to cancel a scheduled appointment or surgery, we encourage you to contact us and we will work with you to reschedule your visit. Northeast Orthopaedics
Northeast Orthopaedics Taking Leadership Roles in Area Hospitals Effective on January 1, 2007, three area hospitals have tapped Northeast Orthopaedics' surgeons for important leadership roles. Dr. John Whalen has been named the Chief of Orthopaedics at St. Mary's Hospital in Troy. In Albany, Dr. Fred Fletcher has been named Chief of Orthopaedics and Medical Director of the Total Joint Center at Albany Memorial Hospital. Completing the triumvirate, Dr. David Abraham, President of Northeast Orthopaedics, has been named Chief of Orthopaedics at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany. In each of their roles, the physicians are responsible for credentialing of new surgeons and quality assurance in their respective Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Drs. Whalen to Perform Artificial Disk Surgery. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first artificial disc for lumbar spine surgery. This comes as welcomed news and one of the most important advances in spine surgery for people who suffer with severe low back pain. The CHARITE™ Artificial Disc available through DePuy, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company is a revolutionary device that treats severe low back pain by replacing the degenerative or damaged spinal disc with the artificial disc. Unlike spinal fusion surgery, the artificial disc will not only relieve pain but will also save range of motion. The CHARITE™ Artificial Disc is a high-tech device made of two metallic endplates and a moveable high-density plastic center that once implanted, is designed to help align the spine and preserve the natural mechanics for mobility. Previously, a degenerative or herniated disc had to be removed, and the vertebrae had to be fused together with bone or with surgical hardware, often putting extra stress on the discs above and below the fusion. Now, spine surgeons at Northeast Orthopaedics in Albany, New York will remove the disc and replace it with the CHARITE™ Artificial Disc. Total disc replacement with the CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc has been performed in Europe for over 17 years and has been used in treating thousands of patients worldwide with successful results. This makes the CHARITÉ™ Artificial Disc the first and most clinically tested total disc replacement in the world. A breakthrough in non-fusion technology, it offers an innovative surgical option to physicians for treating some patients with degenerative disc disease and related conditions. In clinical trials comparing artificial disc replacement to spinal fusion surgery, CHARITE™ Artificial Disc patients maintained flexibility, experienced improvements in pain and function, left the hospital sooner and were more satisfied with the procedure. "Artificial discs are designed to replicate the movement of the patient's own disc. Following surgery, patients should have less pain, greater mobility and a much better quality of life. With more than 200,000 people in the U.S. having spinal fusion surgery each year, this artificial disc will provide an alternative for select spine patients," says Dr. Whalen, board certified spine surgeon at Northeast Orthopaedics. Dr. Whalen states, “Lower back pain is a significant problem that affects many Americans. Today, we have several procedures to treat patients who have failed nonoperative management. The newly approved artificial disc gives us another option with great promise for patients," While artificial replacements are commonly used in hips and knees, this is the first FDA approval of such a device for spinal discs, said Dr Whalen. Dr. Whalen said that artificial disc replacement is not appropriate for every patient with lower back pain and does not always replace the need for spinal fusion. Lumbar spinal fusion is also effective in reducing pain. TDR (total disc replacement) with and artificial disc is expected to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drs. Whalen now performing Kyphoplasty, a new procedure to treat compression fractures of the spine. Worldwide, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men over the age of 50 has osteoporosis. Half of all postmenopausal women are affected by osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become thin and weak, which can result in bone fractures (breaks), particularly in the hip, wrist, and spine. Research indicates that a diet lacking in calcium, excessive alcohol consumption (particularly in men), menopause, and smoking can lead to osteoporosis, which is the leading cause of vertebral compression fractures. This type of spine fracture can lead to a condition known as kyphosis, when the back becomes rounded or hunched sometimes called "dowager’s hump". While exercise and changes in diet can help improve bone density, there is no cure for osteoporosis. Kyphoplasty is a new procedure that can help to alleviate the symptoms related to vertebral compression fractures. Drs. Whalen and Zmurkoares trained in this procedure and have privileges at most area hospitals to perform it. For more info on Dr. Whalen, click here. For more information on Kyphoplasty, click here. |
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