Sports Medicine involves prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, not only of athletes, but of all active children and adults. Most sports medicine injuries are treated without surgery, but when surgery is necessary, there are a number of options available depending on the problem. Arthroscopy can be employed in many situations and has revolutionized orthopaedic surgery. It is the original “minimally invasive surgery.” It allows thorough, accurate evaluation of a joint, enabling us to perform surgeries that previously required large incisions and in-patient hospital stays.
Conditions that we commonly treat include disorders of the shoulder, such as instability, dislocations, biceps, labral and rotator cuff problems. The elbow, wrist and ankle are at risk for either traumatic or overuse injuries involving tendons, ligaments or the cartilage surfaces. Sports medicine related disorders of the knee include ligament injuries such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears, Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) sprains, meniscal and articular cartilage tears.
Our sports medicine procedures are performed at either the Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center or Virtua Memorial Hospital. Most cases are performed on an outpatient (same-day surgery) basis. On the day of surgery, you will meet with an anesthesiologist who will review your medication options with you. When appropriate, a regional nerve block will be offered. The nerve block is highly recommended to help manage post-operative pain while minimizing or eliminating the need for narcotic pain medications. Upon discharge home, you will be provided prescriptions for any needed medications and typed instructions regarding your postoperative care.
Sports medicine is a major part of our practice at BCOS. Our sports medicine specialists are multiple year Top Doc honor recipients and have developed this dimension of our practice into a state-of-the-art program. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Bowers routinely perform ACL reconstructions and cartilage surgery in the knee, and stabilization, decompression, and rotator cuff repairs in the shoulder. As a group, we are constantly learning and developing new techniques, keeping up with the latest in orthopaedic and sports medicine technology.