Patient Services

Back to Orthopedics Table of Contents

Diagnostic Testing
When you feel pain, you know there's something wrong. But if the problem is deep within your muscles, bones or joints, how does your medical team determine what is happening? Click here for some of the diagnostic techniques used in Orthopedic Radiology at Greenwich Hospital.

Ambulatory Surgery
Many orthopedic procedures may be performed through All In A Day Surgery, sparing patients the cost of an overnight hospital stay and allowing them to recuperate in their own homes. Approximately 500 procedures are done in this way each month.

Although surgery is performed in the main operating suite, patients come to their own rooms on the All In A Day unit afterward to rest.

Each patient has a primary nurse to oversee his care. Those who have had general anesthesia generally stay for several hours. Patients who've had sedation may go home much sooner.

Knee arthroscopies are the procedures most commonly performed through the unit, although many other types of orthopedic surgery may be done on a one-day basis. Arthroscopy is a type of orthopedic surgery performed at the site of certain injuries. Using a fiberoptic scope attached to a miniature television camera, the surgeon is able to see inside the joint through a very small incision. Recovery time is greatly reduced because the incision is so small.

Patient education is a high priority, since the stay in the hospital is so short. All nurses on the unit have been trained in the special needs of short-stay patients.

Minor Surgery
Some foot surgery and other procedures not requiring general anesthesia may be performed in Minor Surgery. No fasting is required and patients generally can be in and out in an hour. Benefits include lower costs and the convenience of a short stay, as well as Greenwich Hospital's high quality of care.

Minor Surgery is located just across the hall from the main operating room. All procedures are performed under sterile conditions.

Patients are asked to arrive about 15 minutes before the scheduled procedure. The cost is low because of the short stay, and many people return directly to work or other activities afterward.

Physical And Occupational Therapy

The rehabilitation team sees about 60 patients each day, with medical conditions that range from severe spinal cord injury to simple aches and pains. Sports injuries, "overuse" injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis are among the problems commonly treated there.

Both inpatient and outpatient care is provided. There are eight physical therapists and three occupational therapists in the center, working under the direction of a board-certified physiatrist. A physiatrist is a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Physical therapy increases functioning, strength and endurance through exercise. Occupational therapy helps people improve their ability to perform daily activities. Therapy may be an important part of treatment for people disabled through injury, illness or birth defects.

The center provides education, to reduce the risk of future injury, as well as rehabilitation. Therapists work one-on-one with patients. In addition to a gymnasium, with conditioning and strengthening equipment, there is a pool for aquatherapy. Treatment with heat, ice or electrical stimulation also is available. There is a satellite gym on the hospital's inpatient orthopedic unit.

Return To Work Center
Greenwich Hospital's Return To Work Center helps people get back to work safely and quickly following an injury. Located at 55 Holly Hill Lane in Greenwich, it is one of just a few centers of its type in the state.