Joint Replacement Specialist in Anchorage, AK

Our joint replacement doctors deliver the focused care Alaskans need to stay strong.

Joint pain happens for a number of reasons, including injury and various forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. When you have pain in your hip, knee, ankle, or shoulder, it makes it challenging to keep up with daily life. Left untreated, conditions like arthritis can worsen over time—making it vital to seek an orthopedic surgeon experienced in hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle treatment and joint replacement surgery.

The first step when you meet with a joint replacement surgeon is evaluation – which may involve X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – and diagnosis. Arthritic conditions are the most common, sometimes due to osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, or even rheumatoid arthritis. Our surgeons may recommend nonsurgical treatments for pain relief first, which may include the use of medicine or physical therapy.

If surgical treatment options become necessary, our team performs many different kinds of joint replacement surgery using effective surgical techniques, including:

  • Computer-assisted and minimally invasive joint replacement surgery for the hip
  • Total hip replacement or partial hip replacement surgery
  • Total hip replacement using the anterior surgical approach
  • Total knee replacement or partial knee replacement surgery
  • Total shoulder replacement surgery
  • Total shoulder replacement using the reverse surgical approach

Your surgeon will be able to guide you toward the surgery that’s best for your condition and will answer any questions you have about your surgical procedure.

But what is joint replacement? This is a surgery wherein the old joint is removed, either in part or in full. It is then replaced with an artificial joint. The use of this new joint prosthesis can eliminate your pain and help you return to more normal mobility.

When Joint Replacement Surgery May Be the Best Treatment

A little soreness or stiffness from time to time is not unusual, but we would recommend seeking seeing one of our specialty-trained doctors if:

  • Your joint pain keeps you awake at night, or it prevents you from keeping up with your daily tasks and responsibilities.
  • Your joint pain lasts for longer than a couple of days.
  • You try home remedies to reduce pain and swelling, but the condition only becomes worse.
  • Your joint pain begins in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic accident, such as a car crash or a sports injury.

If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms above, we encourage you to see one of our providers. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need a partial or total joint replacement or any surgery at all. It is important, however, to get your condition properly diagnosed and the right course of treatment established. For patients with joint problems associated with a previous joint replacement procedure, our experts also offer joint revision surgery.

Our joint replacement doctors are all board-certified and/or fellowship-trained in specialized surgery and have extensive experience in joint replacement and reconstructive procedures.

Benefits of Outpatient Total Joint Replacement

We perform joint replacement surgery as outpatient procedures for patients who meet specific criteria. Your surgery will be performed by one of our expertly trained orthopedic surgeons at one of the following locations:

AFOC’s outpatient total joint replacement program offers patients these benefits:

  • Outpatient procedures are designed to expedite recovery
  • You’ll be able to leave the day of your procedure and immediately start recovering from the comfort of your own home
  • Reduce the risk of infection from the hospital environment
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Save on costs with the reduced hospital stay

Our doctors and staff are specialty-trained to ensure the highest possible level of treatment, and they are exclusively dedicated to the preoperative, operative, and postoperative care of orthopedic patients. Additionally, our joint replacement surgeons have completed additional training specifically in joint replacement, and they have the knowledge and skill to help you return to your active lifestyle.

If you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms, you may be a candidate for outpatient joint replacement surgery:

  • Severe joint pain that may keep you awake at night
  • Joint pain that prevents you from resting or prohibits you from activity
  • Joint pain that disrupts necessary and daily functions, such as climbing stairs or walking

Jiffy KneeTM and VELYSTM Robotic-Assisted Solution Provide Less Pain, Faster Recovery for Total Knee Replacements

At AFOC, our doctors are on the forefront of minimally invasive, technologically advanced procedures for total knee replacements. Both the Jiffy Knee and VELYS approaches are performed using muscle- and tendon-sparing techniques, resulting in:

  • Less pain
  • Increased mobility
  • Quicker recovery times
  • Better patient outcomes

Our very own Dr. Douglas Prevost and Dr. Lars Matkin perform total knee replacements with the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution. The knee replacement is customized for your specific anatomy and alignment in three dimensions. This allows for a level of precision not possible with previous knee replacement techniques.

In addition, Dr. Brad Sparks is the only doctor in Alaska (and one of only a handful of physicians in the country) certified in the Jiffy Knee procedure for total knee replacements. He received special training from the founder of the Jiffy Knee, Dr. Manish Patel. Dr. Sparks’ patients enjoy far less downtime, decreased risk for complications, and fast rehabs.

Curious if you’re a good candidate? All candidates for total knee replacement are also candidates for Jiffy Knee and VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution.

AFOC offers both procedures in Anchorage, Eagle River and Wasilla. Learn more about Jiffy Knee and VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution.