Though it can be intimidating to see a surgeon, Dr. Michael Planalp and his skilled colleagues at Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine help ease their patients into treatment. They find a diagnosis and then outline possible options, from least to most invasive to prepare patients for wherever they are on the spectrum.
Planalp, who is originally from the Queen City and attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati, recently joined the spine care team at Beacon Orthopaedics, seeing patients with neck and back problems that are both chronic (e.g., scoliosis, sciatica) and acute (e.g., herniated disc, pinched nerve).
As orthopaedic and spine medicine continue to advance, Beacon Orthopaedics is pushing the envelope in several ways. According to Planalp, doctors at the specialty practice are using outpatient procedures to drastically reduce the costs of treatment. This translates to big savings for patients in both time and dollars.
“Beacon Orthopaedics minimizes the overall cost to each patient in the healthcare system by doing as much as we can in an outpatient setting,” says Planalp. As for those who require in-patient care, it’s key to make those decisions early on so that patients who need a higher level of care in a hospital can be triaged.
“The fact that Beacon is an ortho specialty group allows us to be more nimble and agile as we respond to patient needs and bring new treatment options to the region. We want to help patients recover with as little intervention as possible. Since we specialize in orthopedics and spine care, it is quick and easy for our teams to implement the latest and most advanced equipment, best practices, and technology. This ultimately translates to better care and more expedient recoveries for patients” says Planalp.
Physicians at Beacon Orthopaedics adhere to the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to treatment and recovery, exhausting all nonsurgical possibilities first, such as physical therapy or an injection. Surgery is more invasive and causes some damage to a patient’s healthy tissues surrounding the affected area.
According to Planalp, the idea behind minimally invasive techniques is for doctors to spare as much healthy tissue as they can. This tissue, such as their musculature, bones, and ligaments, are often imperative in helping the patient maintain good posture.
“By trying to preserve as much as possible with the minimally invasive techniques, it helps reduce pain immediately following the procedure and hastens recovery,” says Planalp. “Down the road it’ll also prove beneficial in terms of long-term care of back pain, preserving muscles and balance.”
Dr. Planalp sees patients at Beacon Orthopaedics locations in Sharonville, Miamisburg, Beacon East (Anderson), and Beacon West (Harrison/Rybolt).
Beacon Orthopaedics has eight locations in the tri-state area. For more information on Beacon and their locations, call 513.354.3700 or visit www.beaconortho.com