Supplemental and complementary treatments can be invaluable for pain relief and speedy healing when it comes to joint surgery. These therapies don’t supplant conventional surgical techniques, but instead enhance them, providing better outcomes for patients seeking a return to active lifestyles after a serious acute or chronic injury.
Ask your doctor what types of supplemental therapies are offered in their office to help you achieve the best range of motion and absence of pain after surgery. At Strasburger Orthopaedics, we offer several options to complement surgical techniques.
NAVIO
NAVIO is a robotics-assisted system for total knee replacement procedure. This surgical system provides assistance in implanting the JOURNEY™ II XR., which is a bi-cruciate retaining total knee system which allows retention of the ACL. By retaining the ACL, this procedure helps to reproduce the original internal shapes and forces of a natural knee.
The advantages of NAVIO include increasing the likelihood of full range of motion after surgery. Since the original construction of the knee is more readily preserved with NAVIO assisting in the surgery, the patient can hope for less limitations to their movement with the new knee, and a faster progress when it comes to working through their physical therapy and regaining their ability to return to their favorite activities.
Another benefit of the NAVIO robotics-assisted system is that there is no requirement for extra preoperative images, such as a CT scan. Patients scheduled for NAVIO assisted procedures can skip the extra office visit for a scan as well as the cost and radiation of such preoperative imaging, since NAVIO allows the procedure to be streamlined.
Dr. Strasburger is the first doctor in Nebraska who is fully trained in the NAVIO procedure and is able to offer it to qualified patients seeking a complete knee replacement.
iovera°
The iovera° treatment is a groundbreaking new option for patients expecting to undergo surgical procedures for knee injuries. While it can be used simply as a pain management tool for acute or chronic knee pain, it is most valuable as a pre-surgical option to manage post-operative pain using cold therapy.
The iovera° system was taken through multiple clinical trials for extensive study before being FDA cleared to block pain in peripheral nerves. A huge benefit to iovera° treatment is its ability to be administered before the patient enters surgery, to provide pain relief after the procedure is finished and well into the patient’s recovery.
The well-established science of cryotherapy is the foundation of iovera°. The procedure uses the body’s natural response to cold to reduce pain immediately and maintain the pain reduction until the affected nerves regenerate. The process is simple and fast, with pain signaling nerves precisely targeted so a focused treatment to “freeze” away pain can be administered.
Dr. Scott Strasburger uses iovera° before minor or major knee surgery; in these cases, it can provide preemptive pain relief to carry the patient through the first few weeks after their surgery. He also provides iovera° for patients who suffer from chronic knee pain, or for knee injuries that can be resolved with non-invasive and non-surgical procedures.
Patients who receive iovera° treatment will be advised to follow the same precautions against overuse and reinjury.
For more information and to discuss your treatment options, contact us today.