From The Doctor's Desk
Dr. Buchalter offers ground breaking minimally invasive knee replacement, providing an exciting option for South Florida residents suffering with chronic knee pain and arthritis.
Knee replacements have been around for 40 years but traditional surgery has, in the past meant lengthy hospital stays, substantial pain and a long recovery for the patient.
Dr. David Buchalter has revolutionized knee repacements in South Florida by offering minimally invasive knee replacement which uses advanced computer-assisted techniques and equipment ( that’s right, a global positioning system GPS) that decreases the size of a patient's incision without sacrificing precision.
For patients, minimally invasive knee replacement surgery means significantly less scarring and much smaller incisions, less pain, less risk of infection and much speedier recovery times. Patients in South Florida contemplating knee replacement surgery will be thrilled to learn that Dr. Buchalter is one of the few surgeons in the country using this technique and has already perfected and successfully performed hundreds of these operations on patients who were reluctant to undergo knee replacement and instead lived with chronic pain and debilitation.
Dr. Buchalter says, “Not only have the length of hospital stays been decreased, but patients are now able to walk for 30 minutes without the use of a cane just one month after surgery. With the computer I am able to use detailed information to assist with the alignment of the implants during surgery, dramatically improving the accuracy of the surgery. The better the alignment, the faster the recovery, and the more likely the knee replacement will last over 20 years. It takes a significant amount of training and dedication to learn this method. As a surgeon who performs 200 total knee replacements a year, I am one of the very few surgeons in the country using this technique. Many of my patients who have had knee replacement drive to my office two weeks after surgery telling me they’re no longer in pain! I am thrilled to be offering this exciting procedure to the community.”
Boynton Beach resident Jean Hammer had lived with chronic arthritis and severe knee pain for years. In recent months she had been unable to walk more than a few feet and needed assistive devices to get around and was in constant pain. In January of this year Dr. Buchalter performed the one hour procedure on her and within weeks she was walking again with no assistive device. “I am so grateful to Dr. Buchalter. I had been terrified to have my knee replaced because of the long and hard recovery”, commented Mrs. Hammer. “To my astonishment, the pain was manageable and within a few weeks I was walking again without any help or device. By week four I was able to walk the entire mall with no pain or difficulty! I am completely pain free and have my life back.”
Even more technological advances are under way. Dr. Buchalter been chosen to be a leading investigator who will be performing custom knee replacements. Before surgery, special x-rays are taken and sent to a company that makes instruments that are designed to be used only in that selected individual. Dr. Buchalter is looking forward to bringing this latest innovation to South Florida.
To learn more about minimally invasive knee replacement and see if you are a candidate, call (561) 496-6622 for your consultation with Dr. Buchalter today!