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" Queens has traditionally been underserved in the areas of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, but we now have the latest orthopedic care available right here. NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens and our affiliated NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/Queens offers world-class orthopedic and sports medicine services that are on par with any of the services patients can find in Manhattan or other parts of the country." RAYMOND PAHK, MD, ATTENDING ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON AT NEWYORK•PRESBYTERIAN/QUEENS patient-specific instrumentation created with 3-D printing technology. ENHANCING RECOVERY AND PAIN MANAGEMENT To help patients recover and return home sooner after knee arthroplasty, NewYork- Presbyterian/Queens has partnered with area rehabilitation programs to provide home health and physical therapy. Patients are now discharged two days following surgery, compared with previous discharge times of one to two weeks. In the realm of pain management, the hospital is in the process of implementing a new protocol that involves administering oral pain medication prior to surgery and perform- ing at least 90 percent of surgeries under regional, instead of general, anesthesia. "Patients tolerate regional anesthesia much better and have better pain control following their operation," Dr. Derasari says. "We also administer around-the- clock doses of acetaminophen and NSAIDs, which are delivered intravenously. This allows us to prescribe fewer narcotic pain medications while still maintaining adequate pain control." The use of regiona l anesthesia has also expanded patient eligibility for joint replacement procedures to include patients with certain comorbid conditions. The ideal candidates for joint replacement proce- dures include patients who have persistent pain that is severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living, are not smokers and have a body mass index lower than 40. "For the vast majority of patients, total joint replacement is a safe option that greatly decreases pain and increases quality of life," Dr. Derasari says. "Because our team sees high volumes of such patients, we oer impeccable levels of expertise. My colleagues and I believe that there isn't anything we can't manage within the realm of joint replacement and orthopedic surgery. This is due in large part to the resources we have at the hospital and in the outpatient setting." For more information about the ortho- pedic and sports medicine capabilities at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens and NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/ Queens, visit nyhq.org/orthopedics_and _ rehabilitation. ■ ADVANCEMENTS IN TOTAL JOINT ARTHROPLASTY The NewYork-Presby teria n/Queens D e p a r t m e n t o f O r t h o p e d i c s & Rehabilitation team performs nearly 1,000 arthroplasties and joint replace - ment procedures a year — more than any other hospital in Queens — according to Aditya Derasari, MD, attending ortho- pedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Q ueen s . T h e t e a m p r e d o m i n a t e l y performs knee a nd hip a r throplast y, as well as complex revision surgery for failed knee and hip replacement, and also frequently performs shoulder and elbow replacement procedures. Recent advancements in total joint arthroplasty at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens include new pain management and knee arthro- plasty protocols, as well as the use of Dr. Pahk reviews a patient's diagnosis with a physical therapist prior to on-site treatment. 1 0 1 0❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E