From medical innovations to care for local athletes, NYU Langone Health is growing its orthopedic presence throughout Suffolk County.
For many Suffolk County residents, it was the norm to travel outside the region to receive elective orthopedic care. But now, state-of-the-art orthopedic care is closer to home.
“Many Suffolk County residents were going through other facilities, either in Nassau County or in the city, for procedures such as hip and knee replacements,” says Richard Savino, MD, chief of orthopedic surgery at Long Island Community Hospital and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. “Now with NYU Langone Health’s expansion, patients have access to one of the nation’s top orthopedic departments.”
Richard Savino, MD, is the chief of orthopedic surgery at Long Island Community Hospital and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine.
Expanding Orthopedic Services in Suffolk County
One of the ways NYU Langone broadened its orthopedic network in Suffolk County was by affiliating Advanced Orthopedics in 2023, increasing community access to the same level of care that the health system offers further west.
“NYU Langone Health is one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers,” says Richard Ritter, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. “By providing highly trained physicians and specialists who have access to the most up-to-date equipment and treatments, NYU Langone elevates the level of care right here in our community.”
Another way NYU Langone is expanding its orthopedic services in Suffolk County is by adding several specialists who weren’t available in the area before. “Now we have three hand surgeons, multiple sports medicine doctors, shoulder specialists and total joint physicians,” Dr. Ritter says.
“The need for joint replacement surgery is growing exponentially, and studies have shown that the longer you wait to have a joint replacement, the more debilitated the patient gets, so we’re now performing them on younger patients,” Dr. Savino says. “Therefore, the need for revision surgery is increasing as well because the materials used in replacements tend to wear out over time.”
Robotic surgery and innovative technologies, such as the smart knee, are improving outcomes of joint replacement surgeries.
Robotic Surgery
Delivering enhanced precision for hip and knee replacements, robotic surgery helps facilitate a fully custom fit of the joint to the patient. “The way we used to do replacements was by using rudimentary tools to approximate where alignment should be,” Dr. Savino says. “With robotic surgery, we now teach the robot the location of the patient's hip, knee and ankle, map out the joints, then perform the surgery with enhanced precision.”
By helping align every detail of the implant with the patient’s unique joint, robotic surgery requires fewer incisions and less soft tissue manipulation, which can lead to less pain as well as a faster recovery and a longer-lasting replacement, says Dr. Savino.
Innovative Technology
Dr. Savino was the first surgeon on Long Island to perform a “smart knee” replacement that allows for app-based tracking of range of motion, step count, gait and cadence. “It’s a device that goes into the implant and shows how that particular patient is doing day-by-day after surgery,” Dr. Savino says. “It’s an incredible feedback tool because now we're able to have hard numbers to hone down on what's important and what's expected of patients.”
For patients, the smart knee system has proved extremely beneficial for both prehabilitation—it provides exercises to do before surgery to help strengthen joints and improve outcomes—and keeping them on the right recovery track after the surgery.
Rachel Bailey, a smart knee patient who had joint replacement surgery in December 2023, says the app has been paramount to her recovery. “The app said if my steps or cadence is off, so it lets me know what I need to work on,” she says. “It also inspires me because it shows my progress, so I know how far I’ve come and that I’m doing the right things.”
Bailey, who is enjoying retirement with her husband, is eager to get back to golfing twice a week this spring with her new knee.
Richard Ritter, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine.
Community Involvement
Along with bringing new specialties and technology to Long Island, NYU Langone is demonstrating its commitment to orthopedics within the community by working with local sports teams. “We are expanding our sports training and providing more services to local schools,” Dr. Savino says.
For Dr. Ritter, working with school athletics has been a rewarding experience. “Being an athlete and coach and having grown up playing football in Suffolk County, I can relate to the player who wants to get back to the field as soon as possible,” he says.
With the goal of increasing access to top-quality orthopedic care for Suffolk County residents, NYU Langone will continue to expand its top-tier physician and specialist network, bring innovative technology to its practices, and strengthen its relationships within the community. NYU Langone has one of the largest orthopedic surgery programs in the country and is ranked among the top five hospitals in the nation for orthopedics.
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