What Health Problems Does Orthopedic Surgery Address?
Orthopedic surgery is used to treat people with:
- Acute injuries
- Congenital and acquired disorders, like knee problems, fibromyalgia, whiplash, etc.
- Chronic arthritis
- Conditions associated with overuse of bones, joints, and the associated soft tissue
How Do I Know If I Need Orthopedic Surgery?
A doctor who specializes in orthopedics can help you identify an orthopedic issue that requires surgery.
You should consider visiting an orthopedic doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty performing your daily tasks (such as walking up the stairs or carrying shopping bags) because of pain in a particular part of your body, like your foot or ankle
- Pain in muscles, tendons, or joints that persists for more than a few days
- Joint pain that becomes worse when you’re resting
- Swelling or bruising around a joint
- Limited range of motion
- Deformity of a joint
- Any signs of infection
Experiencing pain in your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, or back doesn’t mean you have to have surgery. That’s usually used as a last resort for musculoskeletal injuries. Orthopedic surgeons will only recommend this course of action if less invasive treatments, like medication, injections, rehabilitation, and physical therapy, don’t offer you pain relief.
What Orthopedic Procedures Does Texas Health Surgery Center Cleburne Offer?
Total Joint Replacement
Joints in the body can become worn out over time. This often happens to the hinge joints in the knees, the ball-and-socket joints in the shoulders, and to the hips. And it can happen because of arthritis, lack of cartilage, a fracture, or some other condition.
Sometimes a total joint replacement is the best solution. An orthopedic surgeon removes the arthritic or damaged joint and replaces it with a prosthetic joint made from plastic, metal, or ceramic. Your new prosthetic performs the same function as your old joint, allowing full mobility, pain-free.
Total Knee Replacement
Knee joint replacement is recommended for a number of conditions, including:
- Arthritis
- Disruptive pain
- Decreased function of your knee(s)
- Bone tumors affecting the knee
Total knee replacement is usually not recommended for:
- Infection
- Neuropathy
- Morbid obesity
- Terminal illnesses
Your orthopedic surgeon chooses the best type of implant material for you—plastic, metal, or ceramic—and attaches the prosthesis onto the ends of your thigh bone and shin bone.
Total Shoulder/Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
During total shoulder replacement surgery, your surgeon replaces your joint with a highly polished metal ball on a stem, along with a plastic socket. These components can be made in different sizes to fit your needs.
Your orthopedic surgeon chooses to either cement or ‘press fit’ the replacement into the bone, depending on whether your bone is soft (Cementing is used) or of good quality (Press-fitting is used).
Partial (Unilateral) Knee Replacement
A partial knee replacement is recommended if you have severe arthritis that is limited to a specific area in your knee. It’s less invasive than total knee replacement, and recovery tends to be quicker.
During the procedure, an orthopedic surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and replaces those surfaces.
Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when pressure on a nerve in your wrist causes aches and pains in your fingers, hand, or arm; numb hands; pins and needles; and difficulty gripping. Sometimes other treatments, such as wearing a wrist splint, work to ease the pain. When they don’t, carpal tunnel surgery may be recommended.
An orthopedic surgeon numbs your wrist with a local anesthetic and makes a small incision in your wrist. The carpal ligament inside the wrist is cut, alleviating the pressure and CTS symptoms.
ACL Repair
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a type of knee surgery that involves replacing the ACL with a tendon from another part of the body. An allograft (cadaver graft) may be used instead of your own tendon. The ACL repair procedure is done with either a general anesthetic or a spinal anesthetic.
Meniscus Repair
You have two C-shaped discs of cartilage that connect your thigh bone to your shin bone. These are called the menisci, and they act as shock absorbers for your bones and help keep your knees stable. Meniscus tears are the most common type of knee injury. The repair involves stitching the torn edges of a meniscus back together.
Fracture Repair
In a bone fracture repair, your orthopedic surgeon uses metal screws, pins, rods, or plates to hold the bone in place. He or she also repairs blood vessels that were damaged during the injury. You will likely have to wear a cast while the bone heals.
Rotator Cuff Repair
The rotator cuff is a group of tendons that forms a cuff over your shoulder joint. Rotator cuff surgery repairs a torn tendon in the shoulder.
To repair this part of the body, an orthopedic surgeon re-attaches the tendons to the bone. Alternatively, your surgeon may use permanent implants during the repair process.
Shoulder Arthroscopy
When repair of the shoulder joint involves smaller incisions, this is called shoulder arthroscopy. When carrying out the procedure, an orthopedic surgeon places a small camera, known as an arthroscope, into the shoulder joint. The surgeon uses the images from the camera to guide the surgical instruments. Only small incisions are made, since the arthroscope and surgical tools are tiny themselves. This offers a wide range of benefits to patients, including:
- Less pain
- Less recovery time
- Less likelihood of scarring
Knee Arthroscopy
During this procedure, your orthopedic surgeon makes a very small incision and inserts an arthroscope (small camera) into your knee to see where the damage to the joint is.
A knee arthroscopy can treat a variety of issues, such as a:
- Torn meniscus
- Damaged cartilage or ligaments of the joints
- Misaligned patella (kneecap)
Before surgery, an anesthetic will be applied, which could be local, regional, or general. Since small instruments are used, there is less tissue damage, fewer stitches, and a lower risk of infection.
What Is the Process for Orthopedic Surgery at Texas Health Surgery Center Cleburne Like?
First, your surgeon will request a surgery date and time. Our office will call you to make sure that date and time work for you. To speed up the check-in process at our center, please fill out your patient forms online before the date of your surgery.
A day before your surgery, a staff member will call you to review special instructions and answer any questions you may have.
When you arrive at our medical center, you will check in at the registration desk to verify your personal and insurance information and the person who will be taking you home.
After check-in, we’ll take you to the pre-op area, where a nurse will conduct a health interview and prepare you for your orthopedic surgery. Once this interview is complete, your family member or driver may join you in pre-op until it’s time for your surgery. An anesthesiologist will discuss your anesthesia, then, when it’s the appropriate time, you’ll be brought to the operating room.
During the procedure, your escort will stay in a waiting area and join you in the recovery room after your surgery.
Get Prepared With Our Checklist
Is There Post-Op Care After Orthopedic Surgery?
Licensed and registered nurses will provide postoperative care when you come to our center to have your orthopedic surgery. They are experienced in orthopedics, ensuring you recover well from both the surgery and the anesthesia.
During your post-op period, our nursing team’s primary aim is to re-establish your physiologic balance: optimal respiratory and cardiovascular function, fluid intake and output, and mobility. We will also help you with pain management and prevent any complications from occurring after your orthopedic surgery.
Once these aims are achieved, our team will talk to you and your family member(s) or caregiver(s) about discharge and your health after surgery. Our goal is for you and your support network to return home feeling fully informed and prepared for how to best aid you in your recovery.
Does Insurance Cover Orthopedic Surgery?
Many insurance plans cover the cost of orthopedic surgery, either partly or in full. Please refer to the plans we accept.
Why Should I Choose Texas Health Surgery Center Cleburne?
Orthopedic surgeons at our medical center are long-standing experts in their specialist fields. Highly experienced nurses and technicians are also here to provide top-notch care in a warm and caring environment. Our clients consistently tell us that the process for their orthopedic surgery was smooth from start to finish.
Ready to get rid of your pain? Please get in touch with us at 817-645-0811, so we can help you start living again.
Meet Our Doctors
Blaine Farless, M.D.
Dr. Farless is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in total joint replacement. He’s a true Texan, having completed medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1987. By 1992, Dr. Farless completed his sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery fellowship. For two years he served as the Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Walls Regional Hospital in Cleburne.
Dr. Farless is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Texas Medical Association. He currently practices at Chisholm Trail Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and Texas Health Surgery Center Cleburne, where he regularly treats complex joint issues and performs expert surgical procedures.
Office address:
2010 W Katherine P Raines Road, Suite 300
Cleburne, TX 76033
Bradley Harman, M.D.
Dr. Harman is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and total joint replacement. He attended the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, becoming an M.D. in 1998. He is a published physician in American Journal of Sports Medicine and Journal of Orthopedic Trauma. From 2006 to 2007, Dr. Harman served as the Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Cleburne.
Dr. Harman is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is also a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the Texas Medical Association, and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). Dr. Harman serves on the USA Water Ski Team medical staff and currently practices at Chisholm Trail Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and Texas Health Surgery Center Cleburne.
Office Address:
2010 W Katherine P Raines Road, Suite 300
Cleburne, TX 76033
Dr. Bradley Minor, M.D.
Dr. Minor received his medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston and did his residency at UT Southwestern in Dallas. He completed a fellowship in joint reconstruction and replacement at Joint Implant Surgeons in Ohio.
His life’s work has been joint health. Dr. Minor specializes in total hip replacements (including the anterior hip approach) and total knee replacements, partial knee replacements, and revision of prior joint replacements.
Office Address:
2010 W Katherine P Raines Road, Suite 300
Cleburne, TX 76033