Understand Your Options for Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic surgery is used to treat problems with the musculoskeletal system. This includes conditions affecting the bones, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles.

At Dignity Health, our surgeons use the latest innovative surgical techniques, including minimally invasive procedures, that can significantly reduce recovery time. Some of our specialties include:

• Minimally invasive reverse shoulder replacement surgery
• Minimally invasive robotic-assisted partial knee replacement
• The anterior approach, the most advanced hip replacement surgery

If you’re living with an orthopedic condition in the Bay Area, Find a Doctor who can help get you back to the life you enjoy more quickly.

What Do Orthopedic Surgeons Treat?

Orthopedic surgeons treat the following conditions: 

• Back pain, including low back pain, middle back pain, upper back pain, and chronic back pain
• Deformities, including birth defects, bunions, and club foot
• Injuries, including joint dislocations, broken bones, and damage to blood vessels, nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, back, legs, and arms
• Joint conditions, including, hip bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis (such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), torn cartilage, and ligament sprains
• Muscle issues, including tears and strains
• Neck and back problems, including herniated discs, scoliosis, sciatica, spinal fractures, and spinal stenosis
• Tumors, including cancerous and benign tumors of the joints, bones, and muscles

Common Types of Orthopedic Surgery

At Dignity Health, our board-certified surgeons regularly perform:

• Back surgery, including discectomy, disc replacement, lumbar surgery, spinal fusion, and laminectomy
• Elbow surgery, including surgery for bursitis, dislocation, fractures, hyperextension, and tendonitis
• Foot and ankle surgery, including ankle replacement and tendon surgery
• Hand surgery
• Hip surgery, including hip resurfacing and hip replacement 
• Knee surgery, including knee replacement, ACL surgery, knee arthroscopy, and viscosupplementation
• Neck surgery
• Shoulder surgery, including shoulder replacement and rotator cuff repair

What to Expect During Orthopedic Surgery in the Bay Area

The specifics of your orthopedic surgery will depend on your condition and goals for the procedure. Before you make the decision to have surgery, it’s important to have an honest and detailed conversation with your doctor about: 

• Whether the benefits of surgery outweigh the risks and complications of surgery
• Nonsurgical options such as cortisone injections
• Using regional or general anesthesia
• Your options for minimally invasive alternatives
• The need for rehabilitation or physical therapy after surgery 

For a personalized treatment plan and care with humankindness at Dignity Health, call (866) 466-1401 to see a doctor at one of our Bay Area locations:

• Dominican Hospital
• Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
• Sequoia Hospital
• St. Mary’s Medical Center 

Dignity Health surgeons provide a range of traditional and minimally invasive orthopedic surgery procedures in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Redwood City.