NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/ba/general/3168

Text File | 1992-07-25 | 18.6 KB | 434 lines

Newsgroups: ba.general
Path: sparky!uunet!nntp1.radiomail.net!fernwood!actel!actel!mpc
From: [e-mail] (Marko Chew)
Subject: Summary(Very Long !): orthopedic surgeons for knee surgery
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (USENET bboard)
Organization: Actel Corporation
Distribution: ba
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 23:34:38 GMT
Lines: 422


    Here is a summary of the responses from my knee surgery post.

   It turns out that I won't have to undergo the anterior cruciate
ligament(ACL) reconstruction despite what my original surgery-happy
orthopedic doctor suggested.  The moral is get second or even third opinion.

    Thanks for all the responses.


    Marko

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From: Kathleen Creighton <[e-mail]>

Alan Zacharia MD in Daly City.  His specialty is "diagnosis".  He thinks
it's a lost art.  He's a great guy and a fabulous surgeon.  I can't
recommend him highly enough.  (He was my third orthopedist--the first two
were unsatisfactory.)
--
Kathleen Creighton                     {pacbell,hplabs,apple,ucbvax}!well!casey
San Francisco                          [e-mail]
       Just another annoyingly devoted Akita owner
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From: [e-mail] (Clifton Shak)

Anterior cruciate ligament?  Sounds like a baddie.  I used Dr. Wendell
Ferguson next to El Camino Hospital.  He specializes in knees only.
I just had minor cartilage damage so everything worked out fine with him.
The nurses and El Camino said he know his knees but don't let him adjust
your crutches for you.

Cliff
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From: "Phil Kuhn" <[e-mail]>
Marko,

I saw your post about needing a second opinion for knee surgery.  Last
December, I thought I might have blown out my knee playing hockey, and thought
I might need arthroscopic surgery.  I went to see Dr. Labbe (pronounced Labay)
in San Carlos (Whipple Ave. exit on 101), mainly because he was the first
doctor on my company's health plan whom I could get an immediate appointment
with.  It turns out that I didn't need surgery, since I hadn't actually torn
the ligament, so I can't comment on his surgical skills, etc.  However, from
everything I could tell, he seemed like a nice guy who knew what he was doing.
Granted, that probably applies to a lot of doctors, but if you were interested
I could dig up his phone number (I have it at home).  Either way, good luck
with your knee.

Phil

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From: [e-mail]

          About knees, I blew out my PCL, which is rarer than the ACL
          and thus a more difficult surgery.  ACL surgery is supposed
          to be cookbook.  I would recommend Dr. Gordon Cambell from
          the Palo Alto orthapedics Assoc. or whatever.  Hes a surgeon
          for the 49ers.  The surgery itself is completely orthascopic
          so if you get it scoped you might as well have it replaced.

          I had the general anastesia, felt like shit for 2-3 days
          and would probably do the local (spine) anastesia if I
          had the choice.  You can get other drugs to put you
          asleep (sorta) for the surgery.

          Post op was no problem, except morphine is a hideous drug
          and should be avoided, it lessens the pain but makes you feel
          sick.

          For ACLs, the typical rehab period is 1 month or so on crutches,
          probably another month on a brace, no sports for 6 months, and
          play with a brace for a year.  Sucess rate is very high as far
          as I know.

          My opinion??  Well how much serious sports are you gonna be doing?
          I have a buddy who has none, and he plays ultimate.  But if you're
          gonna be doing sports for another 8-10 years, cutting and skiing,
          get it done.  Its a well understood surgery.

          It sucks, sorry to hear about it.
          But not the end of the world.
          Kevin
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From: [e-mail] (Leonardo Alvarez)

Well, you're in luck. I just had an ACL reconstruction. I can recommend a
few doctors for you. I am having an excellent recovery, because my doctor
believes in a very agressive therapy before and aftersurgery. I hope to be
playing soccer again (that's how I hurt it) pretty soon -- in less than a
month. I had surgery less than 4 months ago.

Your recovery, of course, will vary. If you are athletic and are in good
shape, your chances for recovery improve dramatically.

Anyway, my doctor is Warren King. He's the orthopod for the Blackhawks soccer
team and the San Jose Sharks. He's incredible, and will really explain
everything you need to know. He's the number one choice.

Another good guy is is James Colville, who treats lots of the Olympic swimmers
around here. He is also excellent at explaining your knee and surgery to
you.

One more good surgeon, with a shitty "bedside" manner is Martin Trieb. He, like
the other two, is a great surgeon, but horrible at explaining what is going
on. I would only see him for a second opinion, although he does have a very
good reputation.

Their numbers are:
(1) Dr. Warren King:       [phone] (Sunnyvale)
(2) Dr. James Colville     [phone] (San Jose)
(3) Dr. Martin Trieb       [phone] (Los Gatos)

I really recommend Dr. King. If you do go see him, make sure you tell him
I told you about him. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to call me.
You can reach me at work 415/336-4918

Good luck.

    leo


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From: [e-mail] (Jodi Major)

I had knee surgery a couple summers ago.  It was performed
by Dr. Douglas Blatz.  My sister also went to him last year.
He is a "sports" doctor.  I would recommend him to anyone!!

J.Major

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From: Charles Fineman <[e-mail]>

Anyways, I had a mild tear in my meniscus a couple of years ago and
had it treated (orthoscopy) by a guy at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic.
His name is Dr. Fred Behling. I was very happy with his treatment of
my case. He's a good sports medicine doctor and has some sort of
affiliation with the Stanford football team (don't know if he's the
team Dr. or what, but it's my understanding that he does see many of
the players who have problems.)

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From: [e-mail] (Randal Ebbs)


I know that thye Fremont Orthopaedic Medical Group in (you guessed it) FREMONT has a really great reputation. Try Dr. Bevan Thomas, as he did my knee.



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From: [e-mail] (Judy Kato)

I had an anterior and medial colateral cruciate reconstruction 3 years ago and
can highly recommend my orthopedic surgeon, Doug Blatz.  He did a super job
and the physical therapists  who deal with patients from the sunnyvale, saratoga
cupertino area also agree that he is one of the best. He has an office in the
cupertino town center and also one in Los Gatos.
Good luck to you.

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From: Gary Gitzen <[e-mail]>

Hi Marko,

Back in February Dr. James Page of SV Med Clinic repaired ~severe damage
from a dislocated shoulder. He seemed to be a bit of a cowboy, but seems
to have done good work. No complaints yet.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Gary

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From: [e-mail] (Sylvia Hill)

I had arthoscopic surgery on my knee two years ago because I tore my
ACL (anterior cruciate ligament -- one gets very educated in the
terminology after going through the surgery).

The surgeon who performed my surgery was Dr. Chalmers in Los Gatos,
but my post-surgery follow-ups were held with Dr. Merchant in
Mountain View (near Los Altos). I would recommend highly that you see
Dr. Merchant for a second opinion; he is a very experienced surgeon
and a very straight-forward physician.


Dr. Merchant can be reached at [phone]. He is located on 2500
Hospital Drive in Mountain View, right behind the El Camino Hospital
off of Grant St.

By the way, I would also strongly recommend you have an MRI (Magnetic
Resonant Imaging) done prior to having any surgery performed. It is a
non-intrusive imaging process that is a better substitute for X-rays,
and it is able to distinguish cartilage and flesh from the bones. It
will help your physician to see whether it is the ligament or the
meniscus (cartilage) that has been damaged.

Good luck,

Sylvia Hill

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From: "Alison Chaiken" <[e-mail]>
Thanks for all the information!    I posted a query similar to yours a year or
so ago, and got very few responses (two if I recall correctly).    You must
have picked a better newsgroup.     I have had some really bad experiences with
orthopedists, so I strongly endorse your idea of getting a second opinion.

I have a good friend who's a spinal surgery specialist on the East coast.   I
asked her for general advice about picking a doctor, and she suggested
considering a younger doctor rather than a famous one (e.g., "surgeon to the
Sharks").     Because orthopedic surgery is a rapidly changing field, younger
doctors are apt to be more knowledgeable about the latest technique, for
example arthroscopic ACL reconstruction, which has only been done for a few
years.     Of course, that doesn't mean that you should choose a med student,
either!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Oleg Vizir <[e-mail]>

Marko:

      The Sunnyvale Medical Clinic has a great team of Orthopedic surgeons.
      Dr. Parker performed my knee surgery, but I was fortunate in which I
      did not have reconstruction.  There is another great Orthopedic
      surgeon by the name of Dr. Gieter.  I think Dr. Gieter is based in
      the Palo Alto/San Mateo area.  Rumor also states that he has performed
      knee surgery on 49er players.

      It helps to have a good/great/excellent Orthopedic surgeon, but the
      results are seen in how seriously one takes the physical therapy.

      Good luck !!!!

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From: [e-mail] (Hal Beilan)

Back in '85 I tore my ACL playing Ultimate frisbee. At the time I had Kaiser insurance
and their policy was to wait two weeks before surgery. By then it was too late; the
ligament was completely torn and had atrophied too far to be reattached. Reconstructive
surgery at that time was ancient by today's standards and would have resulted in at
least 6 months of painful recuperation. Today they can do a complete reconstruct by
arthroscopic surgery using a piece of the patellar tendon to replace the torn ligament.
The trauma is much less and recuperation time much shorter. Although I function just
fine without my ACL (about 50% of people can) I still tweak my knee occasionally and thus
have to deal with the orthopods. I've found those at the Palo Alto Sports Clinic very
good. Also, I managed to see the 49ers doc (Dillingham) who probably does a half dozen
reconstructs every week. Obviously, he's very busy and impossible to see without a
referral; you also feel a bit like one of the herd the way he shuffles you in and out
quickly. Just the other day someone here at work mentioned a guy in the East Bay who he
says is "Dr. Arthroscopic Reconstruct", but I don't have his name. If you want more info
let me know, and definitely get a 2nd and maybe 3rd opinion. Good luck.

                            Hal
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From: Rick Lasslo <[e-mail]>

Marko,

This is a response to a message you posted on the net.  Let me know if this
helps you.

I was diagnosed with a torn or completely separated ACL (anterior cruciate
ligament) about 2 years ago.  The first doctor I saw recommended either
cleanup surgery or complete reconstruction.

Not only did I get a second opinion, I did lots of research on knee
surgery at the UC Davis Medical School.

The decision to have surgery should be based on how unstable your knee is
and what you need it for.

There is the rule of thirds.  1/3 of the people with broken ACL will need
surgery because there knees are too unstable.  1/3 of the people will be
ok without surgery but they cannot do much activites but walk (if they try
to do some activity, the knee becomes unstable).  1/3 of the people can do
without the ACL because they have tight knees, good muscles, etc.


Since I am a dancer (ballroom, swing type) I found out who handles dancers
and got a second opinion from a Dr. Garric  at the St. Francis hospital in
San Franciso.  He handles the S.F. ballet.

He recommended an exercise therapy for me to build up muscles to take the
place of the ACL and told me that once I build up my muscles there was a
chance that I will be able to continue dance without any surgery.

Happily I was one of the 1/3 that was ok and I dance now several times a
week.  I also work out several nights a week just on those muscles that
hold my knee together (but better than than surgery).


I cannot diagnose your injury.  If it was just an ACL, then you might have
a chance.  If there is more damage to your knee with other ligaments, your
knee is unstable, or you want to continue playing soccor or ski, then you
might think about surgery.

Good luck,

Rick Lasslo  [e-mail]


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From: [e-mail] (Eugene N. Miya)

Jack Lewis, Kaiser, Oakland.  Fine doctor.

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From: Chris Peterson <[e-mail]>

Try the Sports Medicine Clinic at the Palo Alto Medical Center.  They aren't
cheap, but many professional athletes have used their services.

I remember Dr. Beyling (sp!) as a "hot shot".

PS> It's "anterior cruciate", as in "crossing".

Good luck with your knee...
--
Chris Peterson                                     Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
                                                    Research Computing Services
                                                              Palo Alto, CA USA
                                                   [e-mail]
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From: [e-mail] (Michele-Daniele Patin)

Yes, I have a recommendation for you.  Dr. Grady Jeter in Los Gatos
specializes not only in knee injuries, but specifically in injuries
to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).  He is apparently the doctor
who did the early definitive research in this field, too.  I found out
about him recently from a work colleague who injured his knee playing
basketball.  That was not an ACL injury, but his daughter, a college
volleyball player, had her ACL repaired by Dr. Jeter.  Dr. Jeter has been
the team orthopedic surgeon for several U.S. Olympic teams, most recently
the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.  [phone], 2430 Samaritan, Los Gatos.

Until about two weeks ago, I thought I had an ACL tear, so I did some
research on this, too.  Turns out my problem is not ACL-related, after
all, so I cancelled my appointment with Dr. Jeter and went to the
(much closer, for me) orthopedist my regular doctor recommended as the
best all-around orthopedist in the Palo Alto area (Dr. Tom Franklin,
415-321-7303, 1101 Welch Rd., Ste C8, Palo Alto).

I've also heard good things about Dr. Donald Bunce at the sports
medicine division of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, although I also
heard from one person that he wasn't very satisfied with Dr. Bunce's
approach to post-operative physical therapy.

The orthopedist who works on the 49ers' knees is at Sequoia Hospital
in Redwood City.  You could probably get the name by calling the
hospital.

Good luck!  Aren't knee injuries the pits?!

Cheers,
Michele Patin, IBM PSP Palo Alto
[phone] [e-mail]
Speaking for myself, not for IBM.
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Yes, there is a surgeon by the name of Darrel Kauffman -- through Santa
Teresa Medical Group (on the Santa Teresa Kaiser property in South San
Jose).  I had two knee surgeries in '89, and since I have Kaiser and Kaiser
was booked solid for months for knee surgeries (and mine were emergency
surgeries), I was farmed out to him.  He is very good.  Though I'll warn
you, your knees may never be the same again -- knee problems are usually
almost impossible to fully recover from.  Good luck with your surgery!




- Tanya_Davis.esh.qmail.slac.stanford.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bob Piety <[e-mail]>

Dr. Eric Test, at Sunnyvale Medical Clinic, performed satisfactory
knee surgery on me, as well as upon one of my co-workers.  In both
cases, the knee was cleaned out arthroscopically and the remains of
the severed anterior cruciate ligaments removed.  No reconstruction
was attempted and both of us use a knee brace for skiing, sports, etc.

--
Bob          [e-mail]      [phone]
                                   Palo Alto, California


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From: "Sullivan" <[e-mail]>

This is very good that you are getting more than one opinion... I hav e
no recommendations for an Ortho, but I do have a dis-recommendation:
Stay away from Dr. Donald Bunce.  I have heard from at least 3 people
who feel he was terrible who were treated by him.   One was an ex-Stanford
QB.

Lot's of Luck, and I am knocking on wood.
Mike
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From: [e-mail]


Yuck.  I had my ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) reconstruction about
3 years ago.  Unfortunately, I had it done in New York, so I can't
help with the Doctor info.  I can provide any info you might like
about the rehab process, etc.

BTW, after 3 years I am about 90 % of what I was before the injury.
In my opinon it was worth it.

Ray Milkey
Sony Microsystems Company
651 River Oaks Parkway
San Jose, CA 95134
[e-mail]
--
Marko Chew
Actel Corporation
Sunnyvale, CA