EXPERT
Dr. Vlad Gendelman, M.D., FAAOS
Orthopedist | Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery
Dr. Vlad Gendelman is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in LOS ANGELES, CA. Dr. Gendelman specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, diseases and disorders of the bodys musculoskeletal system. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Gendelman tends to bones, ligaments, muscles, joints, nerves and tendons. Orthopaedic surgeons can specialize in certain areas like the hand, spine, hip, foot and ankle, shoulder and elbow or the knee.
20 years
Experience
Dr. Vlad Gendelman, M.D., FAAOS
- LOS ANGELES, CA
- University of CA at Irvine – College of Medicine
- Accepting new patients
Dr. Vlad Gendelman - What Is Orthopedic Surgery?
What is orthopedic surgery? Orthopedic surgery is the branch of medicine focused on conditions affecting muscles, bones, and joints. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and...
Are you awake for foot surgery?
There are dozens if not hundreds of different foot surgeries so this is very hard to answer. In general it can be done under general anesthesia (fully asleep), regional anesthesia, READ MORE
There are dozens if not hundreds of different foot surgeries so this is very hard to answer. In general it can be done under general anesthesia (fully asleep), regional anesthesia, where you get a shot in the back and your lower extremities will be numb and you will not feel anything in the legs, or sometimes even local anesthesia where you get injections around the area of the surgery to numb up the area. Which are actual possibilities for your type of surgery depends on the surgery and you did not provide that information.
What are the symptoms of tendonitis in the ankle?
Tendonitis means tendon inflammation. Symptoms would be pain along the path of the tendon, tenderness over the tendon, pain with whatever function that particular muscle/tendon READ MORE
Tendonitis means tendon inflammation. Symptoms would be pain along the path of the tendon, tenderness over the tendon, pain with whatever function that particular muscle/tendon is responsible for and possibly visible swelling over the path of the tendon. Swelling is always there with tendonitis but it may or may not be visible to the naked eye.
How long after back surgery can I drive?
General answer is - when you are off all narcotic and/or muscle relaxant medications and when you are able to apply full force with your right lower extremity (i.e. able to stand READ MORE
General answer is - when you are off all narcotic and/or muscle relaxant medications and when you are able to apply full force with your right lower extremity (i.e. able to stand on your right leg without assistive devices). However, this is a general guideline / answer. You will have to discuss this with your surgeon because it also depends on the type of surgery you will have to some degree.
What should I wear after elbow surgery?
Loose fitting clothes that you can put on easily over a splint / dressing which you will have in place after surgery.
Do they put you to sleep for spine surgery?
Yes, you definitely would not want this type of surgery performed while you are awake. There is no regional anesthesia for spine surgery, so this will definitely be general surgery. READ MORE
Yes, you definitely would not want this type of surgery performed while you are awake. There is no regional anesthesia for spine surgery, so this will definitely be general surgery. You will be asleep for the duration of the procedure.
What can I expect after hand tendon surgery?
There are different types of tendon surgery and you did not provide enough information for this question to be answered in a reasonable manner. Is it a cut tendon, torn tendon, READ MORE
There are different types of tendon surgery and you did not provide enough information for this question to be answered in a reasonable manner. Is it a cut tendon, torn tendon, one of the types of tendon compression syndromes? If you provide more information someone may be able to answer this. Your surgeon is always the best source of answers for these types of questions.
When should I see a doctor for leg pain?
Whenever you feel that you cannot live with the pain and that it is not improving on its own you should be evaluated to try to determine the cause and create a treatment plan.
Why do my son's ankles hurt when he walks?
He would need an orthopaedic exam by a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon to determine the cause. There are too many unknowns in your short question and without a proper history and READ MORE
He would need an orthopaedic exam by a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon to determine the cause. There are too many unknowns in your short question and without a proper history and physical examination this is impossible to answer.
Do you need extensive surgery for a torn spinal vertebrae?
Vertebrae are bones of the spine. Bones are hard and somewhat brittle structures and therefore cannot tear. Bones can break however. With the information you have this question READ MORE
Vertebrae are bones of the spine. Bones are hard and somewhat brittle structures and therefore cannot tear. Bones can break however. With the information you have this question is impossible to answer since there is no such thing as a torn spinal vertebrae.
Do orthopedic doctors treat shoulder pain?
Yes, shoulder pain is and should be treated by an orthopaedic surgeon / specialist. You need an orthopaedic exam to establish what is causing your pain and treatment will be recommended READ MORE
Yes, shoulder pain is and should be treated by an orthopaedic surgeon / specialist. You need an orthopaedic exam to establish what is causing your pain and treatment will be recommended based on that information.
What is the bursitis in your shoulder?
Bursa is somewhat of a cushion. We have multiple, in different places in our body, wherever bone comes close to the skin. When bursa's get inflamed, which is called bursitis, READ MORE
Bursa is somewhat of a cushion. We have multiple, in different places in our body, wherever bone comes close to the skin. When bursa's get inflamed, which is called bursitis, they swell up with fluid and depending on location of your bursitis (which joint) this swelling may be visible. Since this is due to inflammation it also causes pain. Bursitis should be addressed / treated. If left untreated it can become chronic and harder to treat. Treatment for bursitis starts with conservative treatment but can at times require surgical treatment. It's all a matter of what treatment your body responds or does not respond to. Obviously surgery is the last step.
How can I straighten my spine naturally?
Strengthen your core muscles and keep correct posture is probably the best answer, however if you are referring to having scoliosis, these things will be of limited utility and READ MORE
Strengthen your core muscles and keep correct posture is probably the best answer, however if you are referring to having scoliosis, these things will be of limited utility and there is not really a way to do that. Spine curvature is established when you are growing as a child. Once you reach adulthood which for a female is around 15-16yo with regard to spine, your curvature will not improve much no matter what you do, but depending on situation it can get worse, so the above two things will help to slow down or even prevent worsening, once again depending on your particular situation which is hard to discuss in this type of forum.
How long is the recovery for ankle surgery?
Broken bone in the ankle usually takes about 8 weeks to heal. After surgery the countdown starts on the day of the surgery, not on the day of the break because the broken bone READ MORE
Broken bone in the ankle usually takes about 8 weeks to heal. After surgery the countdown starts on the day of the surgery, not on the day of the break because the broken bone will be manipulated during surgery and healing starts all over again. Recovery involves returning the motion to the ankle after healing and then restoring strength of the surrounding musculature. That can take 4-8 months. Since he is only 17 it may be a little faster for him so maybe 4-6 months range.
Can a bunion affect your knee?
Any pain in the foot or ankle can cause problems higher up the extremity and even in the lower back. This is due to abnormal gait (walking) which results from the pain in the READ MORE
Any pain in the foot or ankle can cause problems higher up the extremity and even in the lower back. This is due to abnormal gait (walking) which results from the pain in the foot / ankle.
What is the best anti-inflammatory for knee pain?
All anti-inflammatories taken at correct dose and interval are roughly equivalent in efficacy, however, every person's body responds differently to different medications based READ MORE
All anti-inflammatories taken at correct dose and interval are roughly equivalent in efficacy, however, every person's body responds differently to different medications based on your genetics. That means that what works better for one person may not work as well for another. Generally oral NSAIDs work better than topical, however I have seen a few patients over the past 15 years in whom topical medications worked better than oral so once again you can't generalize to every person. One of the most common side affects of NSAIDs is stomach irritation (heartburn) so I usually recommend medications that require once a day dosing and are not very irritating to stomach lining, such as Mobic or Celebrex. Both of these require a prescription. You would have to be seen by a doctor local to you to be evaluated and prescribed these medications.
Why do the bottoms of my feet hurt?
There are multiple conditions that can cause pain on the bottom of your feet. To answer this question you have to be examined to determine where exactly on the bottom of your READ MORE
There are multiple conditions that can cause pain on the bottom of your feet. To answer this question you have to be examined to determine where exactly on the bottom of your feet the pain is. Most commonly it is a condition called plantar fasciitis, however that is by far not the only possibility and an exam will help to help to differentiate between different conditions.
Do toe separators work for bunions?
Bunions can result from multiple different pathologies which can be determined from an x-ray by a specialist. For some but not all of these causes, toe separators can help to READ MORE
Bunions can result from multiple different pathologies which can be determined from an x-ray by a specialist. For some but not all of these causes, toe separators can help to temporarily relief symptoms, however toe separators will not improve your condition or in other words "resolve" the bunion.
Is massage therapy good for shoulder bursitis?
Massage therapy is one of the modalities that can be used to treat shoulder bursitis however for most patients, by itself, it will not be enough to make it resolve.
Why does back pain hurt more at night?
Most likely because as you are active over the course of the day it gets more inflamed and starts to give more symptoms by night time. Another possibility is that it is positional READ MORE
Most likely because as you are active over the course of the day it gets more inflamed and starts to give more symptoms by night time. Another possibility is that it is positional meaning that it hurts when you are laying down only, which you may not do during the day but experience when you lay down to sleep at night.
Can a torn ligament in the wrist heal on its own?
It depends on which ligament it is and how torn it is. Ligament tear is a sprain. The more severe the sprain the bigger the tear. Grade I sprain is a small tear. Grade IV sprain READ MORE
It depends on which ligament it is and how torn it is. Ligament tear is a sprain. The more severe the sprain the bigger the tear. Grade I sprain is a small tear. Grade IV sprain is a complete tear. Even grade IV tears can sometimes heal on their own depending on which ligament it is.
