Dr. Kevin Yip has over twenty years of experience treating orthopaedic problems including shoulder injuries, sports-related injuries and degenerative changes. Along with surgical options, Dr. Yip offers a number of non-surgical treatments designed to relieve pain and help patients recover from orthopaedic conditions.

There are seemingly endless options when you’re choosing an orthopaedic surgeon today, although it’s important to remember that surgeons offer differing levels of expertise, skill and experience, as well as cost. It’s vital to choose a surgeon who can address all of your problems and offer the necessary follow-up services for the best chances of success.

Orthopaedic Surgeries

Here is a look at some of the surgical procedures Dr. Yip offers, all of which are in-patient procedures that require a hospital stay.

Arthroscopy

This is a minimally-invasive procedure that’s typically used to treat shoulder, ankle, knee and elbow issues. Arthroscopy requires very small incisions for fast healing time and less damage to surrounding tissues for a much higher success rate.

ORIF

ORIF, or open reduction internal fixation, is used to realign and repair broken bones as a result of a fracture. This surgery requires reducing or realigning the bone to put it back in its original position, after which screws or plates are used to help the bone heal properly.

Knee Replacement

Knee replacement surgery removes the damaged parts of the knee joint and replaces them with an artificial prostheses. Knee replacement can dramatically relief both swelling and pain and allow patients to enjoy a better quality of life.

Hip Replacement

Hip replacement replaces damaged cartilage and bone and installs artificial implants to take their place. There are many conditions that can cause the hip joint to break down, including injury, a bone tumor, fracture and osteoarthritis. Hip replacement allows patients to enjoy improved range of motion and decreased pain.

Microdiscectomy Spine Surgery

This procedure removes a tiny amount of bone that’s pressing against a nerve root so the nerve has the space necessary to heal. This surgery is commonly used to relieve neural impingement, which causes leg pain.

Soft Tissue Surgery

Lacerations are wounds created from tears in the tissue and often require special care as the damage may not be obvious on the surface.

Lump Removal

Lump removal, or biopsy, is performed to remove tissue from the body for diagnosis and examination. There are a few methods of performing a biopsy, although the most common method is scraping.

Fenestration Spine Surgery

Discectomy, or open discectomy, refers to the removal of herniated disc removal during surgery that is pressing on the spine or a nerve. This surgical procedure requires removing the nucleus pulposus of the disc, which is the portion that causes the pain when it presses on nerves or the spinal cord. There have been a number of advancements in the field and now many alternatives are available to traditional discectomy, including microdiscectomy and laser discectomy.

Meniscus Repair

After a meniscus tear has been diagnosed, the proper form of treatment must be considered. There are many ways to treat meniscal tears

Bankart Lesion Repair

The shoulder joint is comprised of bone, muscle, ligament and tissue, all of which must be in harmony to proper functioning. Shoulder joints can develop a number of issues, particularly after an injury or overuse. One of the most commonly seen shoulder injuries is known as a Bankart lesion.

Total Hip Replacement

Hip replacement is a procedure that requires replacing the damaged hip joint with an artificial implant. This surgical procedure may be a total or hemi replacement and is usually done to relieve severe arthritis pain or repair extreme physical damage. Total hip replacement involves replacing the femoral head and acetabulum, while a hemi (short for hemiarthroplasty) replaces only the femoral head of the hip. This is the most successful form of orthopaedic surgery with a success rate of 97%.

Orthopaedic Treatments

There are many orthopaedic treatments available that do not require surgery, or may be used if the patient does not desire a surgical treatment.

Medication

Pain-relief medications are typically prescribed to alleviate muscle stiffness and fatigue, while non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used to reduce prostaglandins that cause pain in the joints and muscles.

Injections

Injections are one of the most commonly used orthopaedic treatments for both pain relief and anti-inflammatory reasons.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can be a very effective tool for relieving pain, including neck and back pain, although it’s also very important post-surgery to restore function and strength.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy

ESWT is a non-invasive treatment for soft tissue injuries like plantar fasciitis. The procedure uses mild shockwaves to gently stimulate pain transmission nerves, offering immediate pain reduction and helping to stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanism.

Synvisc Injection

Synvisc comes from hyaluronan, a compound found naturally in joint fluid. Synvisc is a very elastic substance that’s used in viscosupplementation.

Cast

Casts are an invaluable tool for protecting injured bones or joints as they heal. Casts hold broken bones in the correct alignment and prevent motion and also reduce pain associated with moving an injured limb.

Diagnostic and Investigative Tools
There are a number of orthopaedic conditions that require diagnosis before treatment may begin. Commonly used diagnostic tools include x-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasounds and DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is an imaging method used in radiology to create a visualization of internal structures of the body. MRI uses nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, to create an image of the nuclei of atoms.

X-Ray

X-rays are electromagnetic radiation used for diagnostic purposes. X-ray machines send x-ray particles, or photons, through the body to create an image that’s recorded on film or a computer. Dense structures like bone block out the majority of photons and show up as white on the image, along with metal and any contrast media like dye. Muscle, fat and fluid appear as grey while air-filled structures appear black.