Caitlin Whyte (Host): Advancements are continually happening in the world of joint replacement and orthopedic surgeries, and it can be a lot to keep up with. So today, we are joined by Drs. Korboi Evans and Zohair Alam to tell us more about the advancements and procedures available at Holy Cross Health.

Welcome to Your Best Life Podcast, presented by Holy Cross Health. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Dr. Alam, I'll start with you today. Give us a little background about yourself, your work title and your areas of expertise, please.

Dr. Zohair Alam: Yes. My name is Zohair Alam. I'm an orthopedic surgeon in private practice. I specialize in hip and knee replacement. I've been in private practice for about 18 years now. Prior to that, I did practice in the United States Air Force, so I do also practice general orthopedics.

Host: Great. Thank you. And Dr. Evans, same. Give us just a bit about your background.

Dr. Korboi Evans: Just like Dr. Alam, I'm an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. I'm also in private practice in the Montgomery County area. I was an active duty orthopedic surgeon for 15 years in the United States Army. It was an honor and pleasure to take care of our wounded warriors. So, I still see a lot of active duty patients as well as their dependents. And I do also a lot of general orthopedic surgery.

Host: Great. Thank you as well. Now, to start off our conversation today, Dr. Alam, can you discuss the capabilities at Holy Cross Health related to joint surgery and the typical patient conditions you and your colleagues treat.

Dr. Zohair Alam: Sure. As we've been discussing about hip and knee replacement, we do quite a few elective procedures for arthritis, both hip and knee replacement. And this involves both first time surgeries and revision replacements. We also have the capability of using navigation to perform these surgeries as well.

Host: Great. And Dr. Evans, how are current operating approaches and technologies helping aid the surgeon and improving outcomes?

Dr. Korboi Evans: I think technology is a key essential component to a successful hip or knee replacement in today's climate. We have a lot of patients come requesting the latest and greatest, and we're able to provide those services here at Holy Cross Hospital. I just think it allows the surgeon to have peace of mind and make sure that when they're done with the operation, that the patient has a well placed, well functioning hip or knee replacement.

Host: Absolutely. And as a surgeon, Dr. Alam, how are these new technologies helping you versus the older technology from several years ago?

Dr. Zohair Alam: So as Dr. Evans alluded to, we can still perform these surgeries without some of that technology, but what it does is it validates what we already know and what we see. So, it gives us more peace of mind that we're leaving the operating room with a great result so that the patient can do well.

Host: So for patients with joint pain, Dr. Evans, who have exhausted non-surgical options, what are some key questions a patient should ask their doctor when deciding if surgery is the right next step?

Dr. Korboi Evans: I think it's very important for the patients to get to know their doctors. First thing they should inquire is if this doctor is specialized in the latest technology when it comes to hip and knee replacement. The question that I ask patients is how is your knee or your hip pain affecting your quality of life? And once I get a sense of the patient and how their joint pain and their pathology is affecting their quality of life, then we can offer them specific tailored treatments based on the patient, their age, their activity, their level of function. We have lots of options and capabilities at Holy Cross Hospital that we can offer these patients to improve their function of life.

Host: Thank you. So far as your organization, Holy Cross Health, it's key to note that your program received recognition as being certified by the Joint Commission for Hip and Knee Replacement. Dr. Alam, why is this distinction important and what does it mean so far as patient care.

Dr. Zohair Alam: So, the distinction means that we've met some high quality criteria to show that we have great functional outcomes and a great patient experience. So on a day to day basis, what it means is that we have prepared these patients even before they actually set foot in the hospital about what to plan for, what to expect, what to have in place at home, so that the whole experience becomes less stressful. And then as they get here, some of the people that are going to be taking care of them, they will have met through a pre-operative joint class, whether it's remote or in-person. So, that also allays some of the apprehension that's usually seen when people are having surgery. Then, the way the process is set up to have your surgery, begin physical therapy that day and work on all the functional goals that we require in order for a patient to be safely discharged to home, our program kind of encompasses all that. And with that, we end up sending most of our patients directly home. And it's rare now that we have to send patients directly to a skilled nursing facility upon discharge.

Host: Oh, that is great to hear. Thank you, Dr. Alam. And to close us out today, Dr. Evans, if a patient has more questions or wants to see a Holy Cross Health provider, what should they do?

Dr. Korboi Evans: First and foremost, the internet's a great source, great tool. There's lots of useful information. Patients are able to communicate with us in many different avenues, not just through the web, but with personal contact. We can be reached at our website at korboievansmd.com, also at Holy Cross Health, and we'll be happy to discuss any future care with any patients.

Host: Well, thank you both for taking the time to be on the show. We really do appreciate it. And thank you for listening. To find out more, you can visit holycrosshealth.org/jointreplacement. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Caitlin Whyte. And this is Your Best Life Podcast, presented by Holy Cross Health.