Dr. DiPaola’s Blog

Do Shoulder Surgery Anchors Come Out? What You Need to Know

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Why Are Suture Anchors Used in Shoulder Surgery? Suture anchors are small devices used to attach soft tissue (like tendons or ligaments) to bone. They are critical tools in modern orthopedic procedures, particularly in rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, and instability surgeries. By providing a stable fixation point, they allow tissues to heal back to … Read more

Four Types of Patients

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One of the most interesting parts of my job is that I get to interact with so many different types of people on a regular basis. Their different personality types color many of the decisions we make in the office more than most people realize.

When you are studying to be a doctor, much of the initial schooling focuses on the hard sciences: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry. But once you get through that and are a practicing professional, you find that the emphasis shifts significantly.

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Don’t Let Your Bones Go Up In Smoke

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Most people know that smoking is bad for your heart and lungs. Few people know that it’s bad for your bones and joints.

There’s a host of reasons why smoking leads to poor bone health. And I’m not sure how interested you are in the nitty gritty bichemical details of why this is. So I will cut to the chase and highlight two specific scenarios in which smoking can be bad for your bones.

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Should You Exercise Before Shoulder Surgery?

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The other day a patient asked me if he should exercise his shoulder before getting a shoulder replacement. A little background, the patient is about 60 years old and is an avid weight lifter. I was a little confused by the question so I asked him to clarify.

He thought that if he increased his shoulder and chest strength before surgery, this would make it easier for him to recover and for me to do the surgery.

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