Video Transcript:
Stephanie Kralevich: Today we are at Regenerative Orthopedic Center or ROC in Tualatin to speak with board certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt about the latest advancements in knee surgery. Dr. Feinblatt, what is your specialty here at ROC?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: I do lower extremity reconstruction, foot and ankle, and knee reconstruction.
Stephanie Kralevich: And you’ve been a surgeon here for 18 years. How have knee surgeries changed in the time you’ve been here?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: One of the biggest excitements in my career right now is ACL repair as opposed to ACL reconstruction.
Stephanie Kralevich: Okay. I had ACL reconstruction like 23 years ago. You’re not doing reconstruction now.
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: So we still have to do reconstruction in certain situations, but now we’ve progressed in our understanding of the biology of repair in the joint that we can actually keep the patient’s own ACL and repair it. Less invasive, we’re not harvesting tendon from the patient. And there’s some studies that are coming out now suggesting a lower rate of arthritis developing later down the road, which is pretty darn common after ACL reconstruction, unfortunately.
Stephanie Kralevich: Does this mean less pain?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: Smaller incisions, smaller drill tunnels through the bones that we have to do to repair versus reconstruct. And then we’re not harvesting a tendon. And oftentimes that means less pain as well.
Stephanie Kralevich: What do you say to someone who’s been putting off knee surgery?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: We have to get in within a certain amount of time. Somebody who delays surgery who’s had an ACL tear is at higher risk for developing meniscal pathology. And really we want to preserve the meniscus.
Stephanie Kralevich: What’s your favorite part of being an orthopedic surgeon here at ROC?
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: When we see someone get back to activities that they want to do and there’s a smile on their face, a spring in their step, and they’re just excited to get back to doing what they want after an injury that maybe they really thought was like, “That’s it. I’m not going to climb again, run again, play whatever sport again.”
Stephanie Kralevich: So the slogan here is Saving Lifestyles because you get people to keep doing what they’ve always been doing.
Dr. Jeffrey Feinblatt: Yeah, absolutely. That’s what it’s about.
Stephanie Kralevich: To learn more about orthopedic care and recovery at Regenerative Orthopedic Center, visit rocpdx.com.