Sonoma Orthopedic Surgery

At Prima Orthopedics and Total Joint Replacement we do general Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, and Total Joint Replacement of hips, knees, and shoulders.

Total Joint Replacement

Dr. Brown is Fellowship trained in Total Joint Replacement. Dr. Brown's procedures are performed at Sonoma Valley Hospital in conjunction with their Total Joint Replacement Program. This program guides the patient through the entire process, from the day you check in to the day you go home and return to normal mobility.

About Joint Replacement

It's difficult to have a good quality of life if you have limited mobility in your weight bearing joints (hips and knees) or your shoulders. Patients whose arthritic conditions, either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, that complain of limited motion of the joints can be helped by Total Joint Replacement. First, we look at conservative options that will help alleviate the discomfort and add some mobility. If these methods fail then we discuss the surgical option: Total Joint Replacement. Total Joint Replacement Surgery eliminates the arthritis completely and allows you to return to the activities you enjoy.

State of the Art Procedures:

Some of the newer technologies we are using for our Total Joint Replacements include:

  • The Anterior Hip Approach

    When doing hip replacements Dr. Brown is skilled in what's called the "anterior supine approach" which has distinct advantages over the posterior approach. Unlike the posterior approach, where the physician would need to cut through muscle to get to the joint, in the anterior approach Dr. Brown is going in between muscle planes and merely separating the muscles to get to the joint. This reduces post-operative weakness, improves the stability of the hip, and reduces recovery time. Few other physicians in the area are skilled in this approach.

  • Personalized Patient Matching with Prosthesis

    For this we do a CT scan of the joint we are replacing and make molds for the prosthesis based on the actual physiology of each patient. Prostheses made this way are more biologically compatible with each patient's body and help return the patient to normal functioning of their joints.

Total Joint Program Surgery Process:

  • Nurse Navigator

    There is a Nurse Navigator at Sonoma Valley Hospital who will walk you through ever y step of the process and support you through each transition. She will be there with you through the entire process.

  • Before Surgery

    The process starts with you seeing Michael Brown, M.D. in his office for an Initial Orthopedic Consultation where you will learn about and discuss all the options and possibly try more conservative options first. If you decide to do the Total Joint Replacement the Nurse Navigator at SVH will be notified and will help you schedule your procedure and will make sure that all of the Surgery Requirement are met (make sure you have the proper authorizations, etc). You'll then have the opportunity to attend a group total joint class where you'll be joined by other patients in the program to discuss the process in an interactive format. You'll then have a pre-operative meeting with the Nurse Navigator to review all the paperwork and finish any pre-operative testing. You should also have a pre-operative appointment with your primary care physician at least 3 weeks prior to surgery.

  • Day of Surgery

    Your Joint Replacement will be done at Sonoma Valley Hospital. The Nurse Navigator will be there to get you checked in and start the surgery process. Dr. Brown will then perform your Total Joint Replacement.

  • After Surgery

    After your Total Joint Replacement procedure you'll start your recovery from surgery at SVH. The Nurse Navigator will visit you daily to see how you are doing. After a few days you'll be released into a Skilled Nursing Facility the Nurse Navigator will also visit you there. She will set up your Physical Therapy appointment for 2 weeks and set up your Home Care. You'll also have follow up appointments with Dr. Brown at our office.