Jamaica Hospital adds orthopedic surgeon to staff

Jamaica Hospital has expanded its total joint replacement services, including adding a total joints specialist to the hospital’s orthopedic staff.
Between 2007 and 2009, 50 million adults in the United States were diagnosed with arthritis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that this will increase to 67 million by 2030.
The most common form of arthritis is hip or knee osteoarthritis, which occurs “when cartilage between the thigh and leg bone in the knee wears, collapsing the joint.” This can lead to pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion.
The same can happen to the hip.
To assist patients with these problems, Jamaica Hospital has added orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sean Thompson to its staff as of September 1. He specializes in total joint replacement.
Thompson said that Jamaica Hospital has dedicated teams for the operating room, physical therapy, and pain management. In addition, it holds a class to explain to patients what they can expect before and after surgery.
“It’s kind of a little bit more hands on than other community hospitals who don’t necessarily have dedicated teams to treat patients from pre-op to post-op,” Thompson said. He also said, “It is important that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip obtain continuity of treatment from the time they are diagnosed to post-surgical recovery. Our integrated team of orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and specialized nurses work diligently to provide this kind of care.”
When patients come to his office, Thompson said that he gages what their physical activity is, their goals for after surgery and the types of treatment that they have already tried. He said that once they realize conservative management has failed, they start to talk about surgery.
“Symptoms of osteoarthritis tend to develop slowly in the beginning but worsen over time,” said Thompson. “Once an individual reaches the point of constant pain, it’s usually a clear indication that an evaluation of the hip and joint is needed.”
Thompson also said that they like to see patients before the pain and arthritic deformity have gotten too bad. He said if that is the case, they can try some type of therapy or behavior modification, such as weight loss or activities to avoid.
Now that he is a part of the Jamaica Hospital team, Thompson said that, in the long-term, he hopes to establish a center of excellence for joint replacement so that members of the community will not have to travel out of the area to be treated.
In addition, Thompson wants to continue to build the hospital’s reputation as a joint replacement center.
Jamaica Hospital is located at 8900 Van Wyck Expressway. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment with Thompson can all 718-206-6923.