Page 7 - Palm City Spotlight - January '21

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Palm City Spotlight, Page 7

Cleveland CliniC Martin HealtH news

Shoulder Injuries Treated can be painful, and a tennis match or golf outing would be the last few years, other innovations have made the recovery

With Arthroscopy Heal Faster nearly impossible. Understandably, shoulder injuries used process easier, including surgical improvements and better
post-operative pain management.
to be among the most dreaded by weekend warriors and
With Less Pain professional athletes alike. In fact, a rotator cuff injury was According to Evans, sutures today use new materials that
often a career-ending incident in sports. do not require intra-operative knots. Overall, the procedures
New surgical techniques and better pain management “Shoulder patients can experience much quicker recovery are less abrasive to the tissue. New, long-acting pain
enable easier recovery. Remember Operation, that electronic and much less pain using the arthroscopic techniques medications used following surgery last for 72 to 96 hours.
board game in which one wayward movement causes other developed in recent years,” said Peter Evans, M.D., a board- Often patients need little or no pain medication after their
body parts to spasm and a loud buzzer to sound? certified orthopaedic surgeon with subspecialty training in initial recovery due to the new techniques.
Just like in the board game, an injured rotator cuff can wreak the upper extremities. “Today, my patients return to their A painful shoulder condition or injury can impede writing,
havoc with other body parts – and everyday activities like preferred activities quickly.” eating, dressing, hair brushing and other activities of daily
writing and eating – because it’s the rotator cuff that allows us Instead of a large incision circumventing the shoulder, living. With newer techniques and appropriate rehabilitation,
to lift and rotate the arm. The rotator cuff is composed of four Evans uses an arthroscope, a pencil-sized instrument with a arthroscopic surgery can fully restore movement in the
muscles plus attached tendons and other tissue in the shoulder. tiny camera at the tip, to examine and repair the tissues in the shoulder.
It holds the arm in the joint and helps attach the humerus (long joint. Recovery is quicker and less painful when compared “Prior to arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair required months
bone in the upper arm) to the elbow, neck and torso. to an open procedure. of post-operative rehabilitation and many patients avoided
Rotator cuff tendons can tear from age, overuse, traumatic Using arthroscopy also minimizes swelling and allows the surgery,” said Evans. “Using arthroscopy, we can help
injury or a fall. When it is injured, even reaching for a book patients to begin their post-operative rehabilitation sooner. In 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.
P ALM CITY Local Hospitals Begin
COVID-19 Vaccinations For

NURSING & REHAB CENTER
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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