Page 9 - Martin Downs Bulletin - January '21

Martin Downs, Page 9

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Shoulder Injuries Treated Rotator cuff tendons can tear from age, overuse, Using arthroscopy also minimizes swelling and allows

With Arthroscopy Heal traumatic injury or a fall. When it is injured, even reaching patients to begin their post-operative rehabilitation sooner.
In the last few years, other innovations have made the
for a book can be painful, and a tennis match or golf outing
Faster With Less Pain would be nearly impossible. Understandably, shoulder recovery process easier, including surgical improvements
injuries used to be among the most dreaded by weekend and better post-operative pain management.
New surgical techniques and better pain management warriors and professional athletes alike. In fact, a rotator According to Evans, sutures today use new materials
enable easier recovery. Remember Operation, that cuff injury was often a career-ending incident in sports. that do not require intra-operative knots. Overall, the
electronic board game in which one wayward movement “Shoulder patients can experience much quicker procedures are less abrasive to the tissue. New, long-
causes other body parts to spasm and a loud buzzer to recovery and much less pain using the arthroscopic acting pain medications used following surgery last
sound? techniques developed in recent years,” said Peter for 72 to 96 hours. Often patients need little or no pain
Just like in the board game, an injured rotator cuff Evans, M.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with medication after their initial recovery due to the new
can wreak havoc with other body parts – and everyday subspecialty training in the upper extremities. “Today, my techniques.
activities like writing and eating – because it’s the rotator patients return to their preferred activities quickly.” A painful shoulder condition or injury can impede
cuff that allows us to lift and rotate the arm. The rotator Instead of a large incision circumventing the shoulder, writing, eating, dressing, hair brushing and other
cuff is composed of four muscles plus attached tendons Evans uses an arthroscope, a pencil-sized instrument with activities of daily living. With newer techniques and
and other tissue in the shoulder. It holds the arm in the a tiny camera at the tip, to examine and repair the tissues appropriate rehabilitation, arthroscopic surgery can fully
joint and helps attach the humerus (long bone in the upper in the joint. Recovery is quicker and less painful when restore movement in the shoulder.
arm) to the elbow, neck and torso. compared to an open procedure. “Prior to arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair required
months of post-operative rehabilitation and many patients
avoided the surgery,” said Evans. “Using arthroscopy,
we can help our patients return to a fuller life without
constant pain.”
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Evans, call (772)
223-5708 or visit martinhealth.org/evans.
Local Hospitals Begin

COVID-19 Vaccinations For
Frontline Caregivers

Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and Cleveland
Clinic Martin Health received their first shipments of
COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 21.
Indian River Hospital began vaccinating caregivers
Monday afternoon and Martin Health is scheduled to
begin Dec. 22.
The first vaccines to arrive were manufactured by
Pfizer. More are expected to come from Moderna.
“Providing a vaccine for our caregivers is an
important step in the fight against COVID-19,” said Greg
Rosencrance, M.D., president, Cleveland Clinic Indian
River Hospital. “Protecting our caregivers will enhance
our ability to provide care for the communities we serve
throughout this global health crisis.”
A multidisciplinary team across Cleveland Clinic
Florida has been working to plan the logistics and ensure
the effective storage and safe distribution of vaccines.
That includes working with federal, state and local
authorities on how the vaccines will be distributed and
guidelines on which people may receive the vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccination is voluntary for Cleveland
Clinic caregivers and will be distributed using a phased
approach. The first phase emphasizes those job roles that
interact directly with COVID-19 patients or those who
may potentially interact with COVID-positive patients.
As supply allows, every caregiver is strongly encouraged
to receive a vaccine.
“The vaccine is a light at the end of the tunnel and
we are grateful to be able to provide it to our caregivers
who have done so much throughout this pandemic,” said
Robert L. Lord Jr., president, Cleveland Clinic Martin
Health. “There is much work left to do but the vaccine
will help us in our efforts to manage the virus.”
COVID-19 vaccines may not be widely available for
the public until several months into 2021. That means
we must all continue taking important precautions to
help slow the spread of the virus. This includes wearing
a mask, frequent handwashing and sanitizing, social
distancing and limiting gatherings.
About The Cleveland Clinic Florida Region
The Cleveland Clinic Florida region is a nonprofit,
multispecialty healthcare provider that integrates clinical
and hospital care with research and education. The
Florida region now includes Cleveland Clinic Indian
River Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, and
Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, with five hospitals
and numerous outpatient centers in Broward, Palm
Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. The
Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in
Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based
upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and
innovation. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic are experts in
the treatment of complex conditions that are difficult to
diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic
Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. Follow us
on Twitter and Facebook.

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