Arroyo Grande Specialty Center Orthopedic Care – Procedures Performed

Board-certified specialists
Board-certified specialists are doctors who have advanced education, clinical training, and certification in a specific field. A subspecialist is a doctor who is trained or certified as a specialist and then receives additional training in a specific area (subspecialty).

Hip replacement surgery
Hip replacement surgery uses metal, ceramic, or plastic parts to replace the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur). In a total hip replacement, the doctor also replaces the hip socket. In a partial hip replacement, the socket is not replaced.

Hip resurfacing surgery
Hip resurfacing replaces the damaged outer surfaces of the femoral head (the top of the thighbone) and, if needed, the cup-shaped socket where the thighbone meets the pelvis. This procedure removes less bone than hip replacement and maintains a better ball and socket joint. It may be done in younger people who have hip arthritis.

Laminotomy and laminectomy
Laminotomy and laminectomy are two surgeries to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerves. This is also called decompression surgery. As you get older or if you have an injury, the opening for the spine gets smaller. This condition is called stenosis.

Lumbar epidural steroid injection
A lumbar epidural injection is a shot of steroid medicine into your back. The injection goes into the space around your spinal cord. A doctor may do this to help with pain, tingling, or numbness in your back or down your leg. These symptoms might be caused by a back or disc problem.

Lumbar spinal fusion
Lumbar spinal fusion is surgery to join, or fuse, two or more vertebrae in the low back. The surgery is also called arthrodesis.

Orthopedic surgeon
Orthopedic surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in bone, muscle, and joint surgery. This includes corrective procedures, such as removing torn cartilage or replacing a joint.

Osteopathic physician (DO)
Osteopathic physicians (also called doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs) are doctors who practice the full scope of modern medicine like medical doctors (MDs). They have a whole-person approach to treatment and care, with special training in the connection between the body's nerves, muscles, and bones.

Outpatient services
Outpatient services are medical procedures, surgeries, therapies, classes, or tests that are done in a qualified medical center without the need for an overnight stay.

Pain management specialist
Pain management specialists are medical doctors who specialize in treatment of people who have ongoing (chronic) pain, such as back pain or nerve pain from diabetes. Medical doctors from many different specialties, such as anesthesiology, neurology, or physiatry, might further specialize in pain management.

Physical therapy
Physical therapy is treatment to improve mobility (such as walking, going up stairs, or getting in and out of bed), to relieve pain, and to restore physical function and overall fitness. The physical therapist uses exercise, manual therapy, education, and modalities such as heat, cold, and electrical stimulation to work toward these goals.

Robot-assisted surgery
Robot-assisted surgery uses robotic arms and surgical instruments that are controlled by the doctor. It's sometimes used in bowel and reproductive organ surgeries. Not all hospitals have the tools to do robot-assisted surgery or have doctors who are trained to do it. It can lead to fewer problems after surgery. But it can cost more.

Spinal cord injury specialist
Spinal cord injury specialists are rehabilitation doctors (physiatrists) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of people who have spinal cord injuries. A person is referred to a spinal cord injury specialist because of spinal cord disease or a spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is a treatment for chronic pain. It uses a mild electrical current. It's mostly used for low back pain, pain in the arms and legs, and pain in the trunk. A small generator is placed in your body. It sends electrical pulses to a tiny electrode near your spinal cord. You may feel a tingle from the pulses. The pulses can help relieve pain.

Spinal manipulation
Spinal manipulation, also called spinal adjustment, is a treatment that uses pressure on a joint of the spine. It is used to improve pain and function. Manipulation can be done with the hands or a special device. The careful, controlled force used on the joint can range from gentle to strong and from slow to rapid. Sometimes other joints of the body are also worked on to help treat the spine.

Sports medicine specialist
Sports medicine specialists are medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of people who have injuries to their bones, muscles, joints, tendons, or ligaments that result from physical activity. Such injuries may include cartilage tears, ligament ruptures of the knee, and shoulder or knee problems.