OPA Ortho News
July 2011 - Opening in Issaquah
We are very pleased to announce that OPA Ortho will be available to provide care to you and your family at the new Swedish Issaquah facility effective Thursday July 14, 2011. The following physicians will be available to provide orthopedic care at the new location:
The office location is at 751 NE Blakely Drive in the Issaquah Highlands, just off 1-90, Exit 18.
Be sure to attend the Grand Opening Event on Saturday July 9th. Information about the event can be found here. If you have any questions regarding this location or would like to schedule an appointment, please call the OPA Ortho Appointment Line at 206-694-6640.
We look forward to serving your orthopedic needs in Issaquah!
March 2011 - Drs. Toomey and Crutcher and Live Knee Surgery
Last week, on Tuesday, March 15, 2011, Dr. Sean Toomey performed a partial knee replacement live at Swedish Orthopedic Instiute while Dr. James Crutcher moderated. During this live knee surgery, OPA surgeons offered the opportunity to see a knee surgery in a way that has rarely been done before by a healthcare system.
This live knee surgery reached over 2.8 million people with over 4,500+ viewers watching to the live video in the four hour period.
OPA surgeons are some of the first in the region to adopt the most current and advanced knee replacement devices, including robotic technology, which assist surgeons by removing and resurfacing only the arthritic part of a knee without sacrificing the entire knee joint. These devices are used in minimally invasive procedures that are performed through a two to three inch incision, which allows our surgeon to preserve as much of the natural bone and tissue as possible while offering less scarring and blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and the ability to return to everyday activities much sooner than with traditional knee replacement surgeries.
Other links to media coverage regarding the live surgery include:
- MSNBC
- TechFlash
- MYNorthwest
- seattlepi
- King5
- Ballard News-Tribune
- KOMO ( radio broadcast | online article )
- Puget Sound Business Journal
- Puget Sound Business Journal
To view the surgery, please visit the Swedish Orthopedic Institute website here. If you have questions and would like to schedule an appointment with our joint physicians, please call 206-386-2600.
December 2010 - Orthopedic Physician Associates' Childhaven Campaign
Sheila Cahill is a Surgery Scheduler at Orthopedic Physician Associates (OPA), a busy orthopedic practice located in Seattle. Scheduling surgery requires meticulous attention to detail, multi-tasking, excellent communication, and commitment to patients. Each year, Sheila parlays these skills into coordinating OPA’s annual charity event that benefits Childhaven, a local organization providing therapeutic day care for infant and child victims of abuse and neglect.
Several years ago, while living in Nevada, Sheila volunteered for a child service organization and sought a similar charity to which she could donate her time after moving to Seattle. Childhaven is a non-profit agency in King County dedicated to the mission of healing young and vulnerable victims of abuse while breaking the cycle of violence and trauma. Childhaven provides developmental therapy and individual attention to children and their families in an effort to prevent abuse and promote enduring relationships. Multiple resources are necessary for carrying out this mission, including staff, social workers, mental health counselors, and health care staff. Providing comprehensive care poses a financial and resource burden, which is alleviated by the commitment of individuals such as Sheila.
In addition to rendering the basic care and attention to Childhaven’s clientele, there are special initiatives that contribute to the children and their families. One such project is the Christmas gift drive that guarantees each child receives a toy and basic clothing, including a coat, shoes, pajamas, undergarments, etc. Many of these children have never had new toys or clothing; a new gift is beyond expectations for children who are accustomed to chaos and uncertainty.
Beginning in late October or early November, Childhaven provides Sheila with a list of enrolled children aged six months to five years, although the majority of kids are between the ages of two and five. At this point, Sheila shifts into high gear distributing flyers among her co-workers and the health care providers at Orthopedic Physician Associates, Seattle Surgery Center, Swedish Orthopedic Institute, and various service and equipment vendors, identifying each child’s name, age, clothing size and favorite book/television character or toy. Many employees “adopt” a child and purchase clothing, toys, and educational products for the child. Other employees, many of whom have similar-aged children, donate several popular toys and books for general distribution among the kids. Some employees contribute cash, allowing Sheila, and her helpers, to purchase gifts. Ensuring that every child receives gifts and clothing requires hours of shopping and a system for tracking the purchases, as well as gift bags, wrapping tissue, ribbons, etc. Each evening, Sheila dedicates approximately three hours for coordinating these activities and turns her dining room into a temporary warehouse. Weekends are spent shopping, taking advantage of holiday sales offered by various retailers. Once shopping is completed, Sheila assembles festive bags containing each child’s gifts and then arranges delivery to Childhaven in early December.
There were approximately 68 children in 2005, the first year that Sheila began this campaign. The number of children has increased every year, with 105 children receiving gift bags in 2009. The generosity of employees at Orthopedic Physician Associates has met this increasing demand despite a sagging economy. According to Sheila, helping others is the ultimate gift and symbolizes the true meaning of holiday charity!
October 2010 - Physicians at OPA Ortho Perform MAKOplasty(r)
Drs. Auld, Lee, Wilson, Toomey, Holland, and Crutcher are now performing MAKOplasty at Swedish Orthopedic Institute (SOI) - the first facility in the Puget Sound area to perform this new procedure for partial knee resurfacing, designed to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis.
Millions of Americans suffer from OA and a large percentage of them are diagnosed when the disease is in the early stages. For many people with chronic knee pain, MAKOplasty could be a viable alternative to total knee replacement or traditional manual partial knee resurfacing. Patients can experience minimal blood loss and have smaller surgical incisions, plus they may have shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery. Many return to an active lifestyle within weeks of the procedure.
Good candidates for MAKOplasty typically have three common characteristics: knee pain with activity on the inner knee, under the kneecap or the outer knee; pain or stiffness when starting from a sitting position; and failure to respond to non-surgical treatments or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
“Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide,” said OPA Surgeon Sean Toomey, M.D. “This technology allows us to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis sooner and with much greater precision.”
“The robotic arm provides real-time tactile, auditory and visual feedback,” said OPA Surgeon James Crutcher, M.D. “This helps surgeons accurately balance the knee and correctly position the implants.”
Other OPA physicians will be performing this procedure in the future.
Swedish will hold a free community education session on joint replacement, including MAKOplasty, on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute (601 Broadway, Seattle). To register for this class, call 206-386-2502.
September 2010 - Welcome Drs. Seibert and King
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Nick Seibert and Dr. Jason King have joined our practice. Dr. Seibert is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle conditions. Dr. King is an orthopedic surgeons specializing in resolving sports injuries for individuals of all ages. Both physicians recently moved here with their families to Seattle.
Offering same-day appointment availability for urgent orthopedic matters, we encourage you to call our practice as ask to see them. 206-386-2600.
August 2010 - James P. Crutcher, Jr., M.D. named "Top Doctor"
James P. Crutcher, Jr., M.D., one of our talented orthopedic surgeons specializing in hip and knee surgery and joint replacement has been nominated in the annual Seattle Met’s Top Doctors survey which asked nearly 1,200 physicians, nurses, and physician’s assistants in King, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties nominated colleagues they would choose to treat themselves and their loved ones.
Congratulations Dr. Crutcher!
July 28, 2010 - Saint Elmo Newton, III, M.D. Retires
Dr. Newton retired today after a prestigous forty-plus years in orthopedics. One of his patients said it best - "To me and I'm sure countless others he will be our "Saint" of healing. Please pass my sincere appreciations to him and let him know for one, I'm eternally forever grateful for his talent."
If you are a patient of Dr. Newton's or a referring physician, and you have any questions, please contact our main office at 206-386-2600.
July 15, 2010 - Welcome Dr. Lee!
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Fred Lee to our practice. Dr. Lee, a native of the Seattle-area, returns from Columbus Ohio to continue excellence in orthopedic care related to joints. Dr. Lee, board certified in orthopedics, specializes in adult joint reconstruction and arthritis surgery, including revision joint arthroplasty.
Dr. Lee can be reached at 206-386-2600.
June 25, 2010 - Jefferson Tower Office Consolidation
Our office at the Jefferson Medical Tower at 1600 East Jefferson Street, Suite 600 is closing and Drs. Hormel, Kirby and McAdam will be moving to our main location at 601 Broadway, on the 7th Floor. After June 25, 2010, you may reach the same loyal staff members and long-standing physicians at 206-386-2600.
We are so excited to share the lovely office at 601 Broadway with all OPA patients and look forward to meeting your orthopedic needs in this location.
April 20, 2010 - Richard A. Zorn, M.D. Retires
After over thirty years in orthopedics, including 28 years as the Head Team Physician for the Seattle Supersonics and 8 years with the Seattle Storm, Dr. Zorn has retired from practice. If you are a patient of Dr. Zorn's or a referring physician, and you have any questions, please contact our main office at 206-386-2600 and ask for our "sports" group.
You will be missed Dr. Zorn! Enjoy your well-deserved retirement.
March 30, 2010 - Spinning Blood Isn't Just for Athletes
Dr. Edward Khalfayan, an OPA Ortho orthopedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine, was highlighted in this recent article in the Wall Street Journal. The article focused on platelet-rich plasma, or PRP.
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