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BELLEVILLE, N.J. -- Joint replacement surgery has become an increasingly common procedure to provide relief to those suffering from unceasing joint pain. Most patients who have the procedure are over 60, with joints that are affected adversely due to arthritis, damage, or just the "wear and tear" of age that renders them incapable of functioning normally. But advances in joint replacement technology have led to doctors offering hope to younger patients who are finding that the surgery can not only eliminate their pain, but return them to the full functioning life they once knew.
 John Correia, 44, of Mine Hill, first realized something was wrong with his hip at age 25, when he began experiencing pain "like someone stuck a nail in me." He was soon diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a serious bone disorder in which the joint or bone actually "dies" due to a disruption of blood flow. John's doctors treated him surgically with predicted temporary success in an effort to keep him functional. The plan was to withhold more aggressive surgery as long as he could function, which he was able to do for almost 20 years with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs and weight control.
By the late 80's, John was developing ulcers from the enormous amounts of ibuprofen he was consuming, but he continued on with his life -- getting married, buying a house, and having two children. In 1998, when he returned to David Greifinger, M.D., the orthopedist who had originally diagnosed and treated him, he received the grim news that his hip was in such a deteriorated state that the bones were grinding together, resulting in his increased pain.
For the next couple of years John took Celebrex twice a day but by September of 2001 John was in so much pain he was having trouble moving his leg or even sleeping at night. A subsequent MRI, CT scan and bone scan revealed that his femur had totally collapsed. The pain was so intense that John, a machinist for Paramount Machine and Tool Company who had been so determined not to let his physical condition control his life, was forced to take two days off from work. "I had never done that," he proudly reflected.
Dr. Greifinger referred John to Frank Femino, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee joint replacements.
"I asked him if he could help me and he explained that my case would be a demanding surgery but he was very confident that the outcome would be positive," John remembered.
John underwent surgery on October 30, 2001, receiving a metal-on-metal hip implant that is relatively new on the market but expected to last more than 20 years. (Earlier implants had an expected longevity of about half that time.) After four days in the hospital and five days of continued therapy in the Continuing Care Center in Belleville, a facility which houses a sub-acute post-surgical unit, he was sent home to recuperate.
"I was very intent on getting back to work so I pushed myself. I even went Christmas shopping. By Christmas I was walking fine and the terrible pain that I had lived with was gone."
Three months after surgery John was back at the gym, pursuing an exercise routine that included a 15 minute mile on the treadmill and working with weights. In fact, he was back doing the same things he did before his surgery-working, exercise, yard work -- only now he was doing them pain-free.
"My quality of life just went through the roof," John says, explaining the way he felt about having the surgery. Everyone is so happy I had it done - they can see just by looking at my face how much better I feel."
That says a lot for John's surgery, considering the fact that his job requires him to stand on his feet all day.
"I am grateful to Dr. Greifinger for the care that he gave me over the years, and thankful that he referred me to Dr. Femino for the surgery. I feel lucky that I found him and very fortunate that it went so well."
So the man who at one time relied on 14 pills a day to help relieve his pain now leaves that medicine untouched in his cabinet at home.
"I haven't even taken a Tylenol since Christmas," he said.
Both Drs. Greifinger and Femino are participating physicians in the new Orthopedic Spine & Joint Institute, recently introduced at Clara Maass. Using a nationally recognized patient management program called JointVentures®, The Institute provides guidelines for orthopedic patients to follow both pre-operatively and post-operatively. Orthopedists involved with the program follow established protocols that are proven to lead to improved clinical outcomes.
Education is an essential component of the program, and is designed to lessen anxiety before surgery and enable easier rehabilitation following surgery. Patients not only gain moral support from the staff but also from other patients going through the same surgical procedure at the same time.
The Institute offers regular community education programs which provide valuable information on the diagnosis and treatment of back and joint pain. To receive a listing of upcoming lectures, please contact The Institute at (973) 450-2399.
Clara Maass Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, provides a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey. Located in Belleville, Clara Maass offers acute care services through Clara Maass Medical Center; skilled, rehabilitative care through the Continuing Care Center at Belleville; assisted living and long-term care through the Continuing Care Center at Kearny; home health care through JerseyCare Home Health; and diagnostic radiology services through Progressive Imaging Center.
Health Care System, provides a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey. Located in Belleville, Clara Maass offers acute care services through Clara Maass Medical Center; skilled, rehabilitative care through the Continuing Care Center at Belleville; assisted living and long-term care through the Continuing Care Center at Kearny; home health care through JerseyCare Home Health; and diagnostic radiology services through Progressive Imaging Center.
Other centers of medical excellence include the Women's Health Center, nuclear medicine, The Cancer Center, diagnostic cardiac services including cardiac catheterization and rehabilitation, The Wound Center at Clara Maass, same day surgery, Pain Management Institute, Orthopedic Spine & Joint Institute, and maternal/child health programs. For more information on Clara Maass programs and services, please call 1-800-CLARA MAASS or to take a virtual tour of the Medical Center, visit www.saintbarnabas.com.
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