Peninsula Orthopedic Institute Partners with TidalHealth

SALISBURY, Md. – In this week’s edition of TidalHealth, brought to you by TidalHealth, WMDT spoke with Dr. Pasquale Petrera of the TidalHealth Peninsula Orthopaedic Institute.

Peninsula Orthopedic Institute is a key for patients seeking total joint care and seeking care for arthritis. Now, TidalHealth is partnering with the organization bringing two of the biggest players in orthopedics together to bring care to the Eastern Shore.

Doctors at Peninsula Orthopedic Institute offer many avenues for relieving pain, not just surgical intervention.

“There are a lot of non-surgical options available; something or sometimes just as simple as a cortisone injection and stationary bicycle,” Dr. Petrera elaborated. “And for patients, what I tell them is we try the non-surgical methods first, and we try and keep patients away from surgery.”

But, Dr. Petrera says when pain levels are high, it may be time to consider surgery. In those instances, he says the most important thing a patient can do to have an optimal result, after joint replacement, is to be in the best shape possible.

“Weight loss — we all struggle with weight loss. Every extra pound you are is an extra seven to nine pounds across your knee or hip with each step,” Dr. Petrera says. “So it’s important to be optimal in terms of weight as well, which is difficult.”

Other tips that Dr. Petrera suggests ahead of orthopedic surgery includes stopping smoking, as it can inhibit healing due to nicotine’s constriction of blood vessels. He says patients should work on maintaining proper nutritional habits.