Understanding orthopedic trauma

The field of orthopedics deals with the musculoskeletal system, which includes the bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Many orthopedic problems are the result of overuse injuries or illnesses such as arthritis. Orthopedic trauma, however, relates to severe injuries that are the result of a major event such as a fall, blow or collision. While some traumatic injuries can be treated by a general physician, some are more complex with a higher risk of complications. These may need to be treated by an orthopedic specialist or even an orthopedic trauma surgeon.

When do you need orthopedic surgery?

Orthopedic trauma can happen to anyone at any age, but it’s most common among those involved in contact sports or other high risk activities, as well as those with osteoporosis. If you experience an orthopedic injury, the level of care you may need will depend upon your age, general health and type of injury. Some injuries can be treated with nonsurgical methods, such as splints. Injuries that may require trauma surgery include:

• Compound fracture
• Fracture near a joint
• Growth plate fracture (Salter-Harris fracture)
• Multiple broken bones

While all orthopedic injuries should be taken seriously, it is particularly important to make sure that these types of injuries are treated properly as soon as possible to avoid long-term orthopedic problems.

Specialized care for orthopedic trauma in Central Oregon

At St. Charles Health System, we partner with a team of orthopedic trauma surgeons and nonsurgical specialists that is among the best in the region. We offer several levels of advanced orthopedic trauma care for patients of all ages, allowing us to customize your care as needed. Whether you need basic immobilization only or more complex procedures such as orthopedic reconstruction, bone grafts and joint realignments, we have the expertise to help you heal.

If you’ve experienced a traumatic orthopedic injury, don’t wait to seek treatment. Schedule an appointment with your orthopedic specialist today.

St. Charles Health System provides advanced surgical and nonsurgical care for orthopedic trauma in Central Oregon.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a problem with your brain’s electrical system. It is a chronic disorder characterized by the recurrence of unpredictable seizures that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. 

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and can develop in any person at any age, but is more common in children and older adults. 

The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a severe head injury, a neurological condition, such as a brain tumor, stroke or Alzheimer’s disease, or the cause may be completely unknown. 

How do I know if I’ve had a seizure?

There are many different types of epilepsy, and seizure symptoms vary widely. Some people with epilepsy simply stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure, while others repeatedly twitch their arms or legs. Having a single seizure doesn't mean you have epilepsy. At least two unprovoked seizures are generally required for an epilepsy diagnosis.

Our epilepsy services

At St. Charles, our goal is to help you manage your seizures and medicines so you can have the best possible quality of life. This starts with proper diagnosis. 

You may be referred to our Neurodiagnostic Lab for a test called an electroencephalogram (EEG) to confirm a diagnosis and to get more information about your seizures. 

An EEG is a painless procedure that records your brain’s electrical activity as wavy lines. The pattern changes during a seizure and may show which part of the brain is affected. The results can help your neurology care team guide your treatment. 

Epilepsy treatment at St. Charles

Your neurological care team will create a treatment plan for you designed to control your seizures as much as possible. It is also important to get your medications right, so you can enjoy as many activities as possible. Your doctor will listen to your goals for treatment and consider:

• Your personal situation

• The kind of seizures you have and how often you have them

• How medication has worked for you in the past

For the majority of  people with epilepsy, treatment with medications can control their seizures, although there are other approaches, including surgery, neurostimulation devices and dietary therapy. While some people require lifelong treatment to control seizures, the seizures among others eventually go away. Some children with epilepsy outgrow the condition with age.

What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in your brain. Many different types of brain tumors exist. Some tumors are cancerous (malignant), while others are noncancerous (benign). When benign or malignant tumors grow, they can cause the pressure inside your skull to increase. This can cause brain damage, and can be life-threatening.

Brain tumors are categorized as primary or secondary. A primary brain tumor originates in your brain. Many primary brain tumors are benign. A secondary brain tumor, also known as a metastatic brain tumor, occurs when cancer cells spread to your brain from another part of your body, such as your lung or breast.

What are the early warning signs of a brain tumor?

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary depending on the tumor’s size, location and rate of growth.

General signs and symptoms may include:

• New onset or change in pattern of headaches

• Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe

• Unexplained nausea or vomiting

• Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision

• Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg

• Difficulty with balance

• Speech difficulties

• Confusion in everyday matters

• Personality or behavior changes

• Seizures, especially in someone who doesn't have a history of seizures

• Hearing problems

When should I contact my doctor? 

Make an appointment with your health care provider if you have persistent signs and symptoms that concern you.

World-class neurological care, right here at home

Brain tumor treatment options at St. Charles depend on the type of brain tumor you have, as well as its size and location. 

If it's suspected that you have a brain tumor, your care team may perform a number of tests and procedures, including:

• A neurological exam to check your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength and reflexes.

• Imaging tests. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to help diagnose brain tumors. In some cases a dye may be injected through a vein in your arm during your MRI study.

• Tests to find cancer in other parts of your body. If it's suspected that your brain tumor may be a result of cancer that has spread from another area of your body, your doctor may recommend tests and procedures to determine where the cancer originated. 

• Collecting and testing a sample of abnormal tissue (biopsy). A biopsy can be performed as part of an operation to remove the brain tumor, or a biopsy can be performed using a needle.The biopsy sample is then viewed under a microscope to determine if it is cancerous or benign. 

At. St. Charles, our team of experts will use these diagnostic techniques to carefully plan your operation and reduce the risk of needing follow-up surgery.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a brain condition characterized by a decline in thinking skills severe enough to impair a person’s daily life and independence. 

Dementia is not a single disease. Rather, it’s an umbrella term — like heart disease — that covers a wide range of medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. There are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.

What are the symptoms of dementia?

Symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, but you or your loved one may:

• Have difficulty keeping track of everyday items, such as a purse or wallet

• Be confused about where you are, or what day or year it is

• Show poor judgement

• Have mood or personality changes

Many dementias are progressive, which means symptoms start out mild and gradually get worse. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking ability, don’t ignore them. Contact your health care provider soon to determine the cause. Early detection of dementia allows patients to get the maximum benefit from the latest treatments.

Dementia care at St. Charles

There is no test to determine if someone has dementia. At St. Charles, our neurological care team diagnoses Alzheimer's and other types of dementia with a high degree of certainty based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests and changes in thinking and behavior. 

While there is no cure and no treatment that slows or stops the progression of dementia, there are drug treatments that may temporarily improve symptoms. The same medications used to treat Alzheimer's are sometimes prescribed to help with symptoms of other types of dementia. Non-drug therapies can also alleviate some symptoms of dementia.

What can I do to prevent dementia?

Some risk factors for dementia, such as age and genetics, cannot be changed. However, the latest research findings suggest that a combination of healthy lifestyle choices -- including healthy diet, not smoking, regular exercise and mental stimulation -- may decrease your risk.

The St. Charles Health System Neurodiagnostics Lab provides a wide range of services aimed at evaluating and monitoring nervous system function and diagnosing neurological disorders. We serve patients who have suffered strokes as well as those with other neurological conditions and diseases including epilepsy, brain tumors and dementia.

Neurodiagnostic Services

We offer convenient access to many neurodiagnostic procedures including:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Long-term monitoring
• Intraoperative neuromonitoring
• Evoked potential studies

Our Neurodiagnostics Team

Patients need to be referred to our lab by their physician for monitoring and testing. Once here, they remain in good hands: Our staff include five registered EEG technologists trained to understand neurophysiology and recognize normal and abnormal electrical activity. They act as eyes and ears for the neurologists, who later review and interpret the data.

Our staff credentials also include:

• American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologist
• Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists
• Certified Neurophysiologic IntraOperative Monitoring Technologist

The EEG technologists prepare patients for procedures, obtain medical histories, record electrical potentials and calculate the results. In addition, they provide comfort and quality care to patients whether their neurodiagnostics procedure takes 20 minutes or several hours.

Upon arriving at our hospitals, you’ll be greeted by a Guest Services host or a volunteer who will guide you around our facilities.

• Guest Services host hours by location
• Information and documents needed for admission
• Items to bring from home for your comfort

Guest Services hosts are available:

St. Charles Bend

Main Entrance: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday 
Main Entrance: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 
Outpatient Surgery/MDU: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday 
Heart Center: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday

St. Charles Redmond

4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday 
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Volunteers also staff the information desks at our hospitals throughout the day, and are available to greet patients, answer questions and provide assistance.

Now at St. Charles Bend, Mako robotic-arm surgical technology brings a higher level of precision to joint replacement and gives patients more options as they are considering surgery. By targeting only the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis, surgeons using Mako can resurface your knee while sparing the bone and healthy ligaments around it. For total hip replacement, Mako technology uses patient-specific, CT-guided imagery to determine implant size and alignment within a tenth of a millimeter.

Watch this video testimonial from some of our Mako patients.

Benefits of Mako partial knee replacement

• Faster recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional knee replacement surgery (in some cases, the surgery is an outpatient procedure)
• Allows the surgeon to remove less bone and more precisely place the implant
• Less implant wear, resulting in a longer implant lifetime
• Minimally invasive surgery with a smaller incision, resulting in less scarring and reduced blood loss

Benefits of Mako total hip replacement

• Precision placement of your hip implant, which can reduce the likelihood of hip dislocation
• More consistency in leg length, potentially decreasing the need for a shoe lift
• Improved lifetime of the implant due to reduced risk of the implant and bone abnormally rubbing together

All surgeries involve risk of complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor.

The orthopedic specialists at St. Charles Center for Orthopedics & Neurosurgery provide the latest treatments in hand and foot surgery in Central Oregon. When it comes to your hand or wrist, the smallest injury or problem can be disabling. No matter the cause of your pain — ligaments, nerves, tendons, muscles or bones — find the help you need here for a variety of conditions:

• Trigger finger
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Traumatic injury
• Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Fractures
• Sports injuries

When it comes to foot pain, people often don’t realize how much stress and abuse the feet take on a daily basis. Here are some of the conditions that may be helped by foot surgery at St. Charles:

• Hammer toe
• Heel pain
• Bone spurs
• Flat feet
• Plantar fasciitis
• Fractures

Trust the orthopedic specialists at St. Charles Center for Orthopedics & Neurosurgery

The orthopedic program at the Center for Orthopedics & Neurosurgery has been recognized as one of the best in the nation by major health care surveys. Our wide range of treatment options in Central Oregon include surgery, physical therapy and orthotics. Talk to your orthopedic specialist today if you feel hand or foot surgery may be right for you.

Are you a candidate for back or neck surgery?

It’s a major decision to have back or neck surgery. St. Charles Health System in Central Oregon is here to help you make the best choice. Basically, it comes down to weighing the relief against the risks. Back or neck surgery can have many benefits, especially if you’re suffering with the pain of bulging or herniated disks. The most important thing is that you should spend a lot of time talking to your doctor before you make a decision and consider everything before you conclude surgery is the best option.

Have you tried all your options?

Treatments for back pain depend entirely on the cause. In many cases, you can manage back pain with simple conservative treatments like rest, back bracing, physical therapy and various types of medicines. If you’ve taken all these measures and nothing has helped, surgery may be your next step.

Which surgery is right for you?

There are many different types of spine and neck surgery, including laser and minimally invasive techniques. Advancements in technology provide better success with repairing or healing a hurting back or neck. Spine surgery can include a number of options:

• Laminectomy – Certain conditions of the spine can compress the spinal cord and cause pain. A laminectomy opens up your spinal canal to relieve pressure on spinal nerves.
• Vertebroplasty –An acrylic cement mixture is injected into the fractured vertebra. The cement mixture fills in and strengthens the fractured vertebra to relieve pain.
• Spinal fusion –Two vertebrae in the spine or neck are joined using a bone graft. This permanently stops movement between the vertebrae. Although you may notice some loss of mobility, spinal fusion can be a major success in treating a number of spinal conditions and diseases.

Recovery after spine surgery

Some spine surgeries are short and only require a night in the hospital, but others can take hours and require days and weeks in the hospital or a rehabilitation center. At St. Charles Health System, we know what to expect from each type of spine surgery, and are ready with the specialists to get you on the path to feeling great again.

To determine if spinal surgery is right for you, talk to your specialist today.

The team of physicians and specialists at St. Charles have long been recognized as leaders in treating back and neck problems with surgery in Central Oregon.

Diagnosing heart issues through interventional cardiology

Thanks to advances in medical technology over the years and an ongoing commitment to incorporating into their practices minimally invasive methods that reduce the need for open surgery, interventional cardiologists at St. Charles Heart and Lung Center offer patients throughout Central Oregon wide-ranging treatments for a variety of cardiovascular conditions.

Interventional cardiology’s main goal is to reduce or manage coronary artery blockage, prevent heart attacks, repair heart valves and treat vascular problems in areas such as the legs and other locations away from the heart.

Angiograms, angioplasty and more at St. Charles Heart and Lung Center

St. Charles interventional cardiologists perform most of their procedures in a cardiac catheterization lab, where they numb an incision site in the groin or arm with local anesthetic, then thread a catheter to the problem area — most often the heart, its coronary arteries and carotid arteries. Due to the minimally invasive nature of these procedures, doctors keep patients comfortable using mild sedatives rather than general anesthesia. Some of the more common procedures performed at St. Charles are:

• Angiography — doctors inject dye into an artery to obtain blood vessel images that can help them determine if there may be narrowing, blockage or disease
• Angioplasty and stenting — inflating a small balloon, then inserting a small flexible stent (usually made of plastic or wire mesh) to hold open blocked or narrowed arteries and restore proper blood flow
• Atherectomy — a tiny blade attached to the catheter is used to shave plaque from inside the artery
• Balloon valvuloplasty — as in angioplasty, doctors use a balloon to enlarge a stiff or narrowed heart valve
• Biopsy — doctors insert a small needle into an abnormal area to collect a heart tissue sample so a pathologist can evaluate it
• Intravascular ultrasound — uses sound waves to generate images of blood vessels and blood flow
• Radiofrequency ablation — uses radio waves, which are painless, to destroy clusters of cells that are causing arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm)
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) — a minimally invasive procedure that wedges a replacement valve into the aortic valve’s space without removing the faulty valve

Heart and vascular disease treatment excellence

St. Charles Heart and Lung Center’s interventional cardiologists are proud to be at the forefront in offering minimally invasive cardiovascular treatment options to patients in this region. The benefits of this approach include reduced recovery time and less pain than traditional open surgery procedures.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 541-388-4333 today.

From angiograms to TAVR procedures, the St. Charles Heart and Lung Center offers Central Oregon a wide range of interventional cardiology services.