New Option Available For Pre-Op Treatment Prior To Knee Replacement

One of Wooster Community Hospital Health System’s newest orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Joseph Borruso, brings a procedure to Wooster that decreases the pain following total knee replacement. “It’s for anyone who is thinking about having a total knee replacement who does not want to take narcotics afterwards,” said Dr. Borruso. He and Orthopedic Physician Assistant Matt Wayt will be doing the relatively new procedure at Healthpoint.

Iovera is a cryotherapy treatment that is done preoperatively. Dr. Borruso explained, “Basically this procedure stuns the skin nerves around the knee incision, which decreases the pain following the total knee replacement and in turn lowers the amount of narcotic use post operatively.”

The procedure is done about two weeks prior to surgery and lasts for approximately 12 weeks of relief. “Most people tolerate it very well and they tend to walk out of the room with less pain than when they walked in,” said Dr. Borruso.

During the Iovera treatment, nothing is actually injected into the body. The skin is penetrated with a four-pronged hand-held device. The tips of the device create an ice ball that freezes the cutaneous nerves. The procedure is repeated along the treatment line.

The new treatment is one more tool now available in the team’s multi modal approach to pain control immediately after surgery and during the duration of knee replacement recovery. “When pain levels are decreased, range of motion and recovery seems to accelerate,” said Dr. Borruso. “With less narcotics on board there is less risk of the associated side effects.”

“I enjoy doing this work,” said Dr. Borruso. “It’s satisfying to me that I can provide a service that helps people in need.” To learn more, schedule a consultation with Dr. Borruso at Bloomington Orthopedic Specialists.