Louisville doctors help woman with extremely rare condition
Health News

Louisville doctors help woman with extremely rare condition


Louisville doctors have helped a woman with an extremely rare type of dwarfism deal with the deterioration caused by her disorder. Monica Zaring, who is one of just two women in the world who has osteodysplastic microcephalic dysplasia, has had her shoulder joint replaced using custom-made implants and instruments, The Courier-Journal's Laura Ungar reports.

The 3-foot-6 Bellarmine University student (C-J photo by Matt Stone) started having problems when she woke up one morning last year and couldn't move her right arm. Over time, she was able to move it again, but not without severe pain. Doctors found arthritis had caused the cartilage to deteriorate, causing the joint's bony surfaces to rub on each other. "We needed to do something," said Dr. Ryan Krupp of Norton Orthpaedic Specialists, who was the lead surgeon.

So began months of preparation, part of which involved designing a custom-made shoulder stem, head and socket. Custom instruments were also needed to install the implants. "Krupp even flew to a company lab in New Jersey to try the instruments on a cadaver to make sure they would work," Ungar reports.

The Dec. 7 operation took 90 minutes and Zaring spent four days in the hospital, resulting in a $85,000 hospital bill; she is covered through her mother's insurance. Norton Healthcare officials would not say how much the procedure cost, but the custom implant was 47 percent more expensive than a standard one. However, the operation was considered necessary. Zaring, who plans to graduate in December with a degree in communications, does not dwell on future health problems that will likely be caused by her condition. "I have challenges," she said. "But if if I let them get me down, I'd always be sad." (Read more)




- New Type Of Artificial Knee, Designed For Individual Patients, Is Being Implanted At St. Joseph East In Lexington
Saint Joseph East hospital in Lexington is Kentucky's first hospital to offer a customized total knee replacement system in which each the knee implant is made to match the individual patient?s anatomy, says a news release from ConforMIS, manufacturer...

- New Florida Laws Helping Stem Flow Of Pills, But Loopholes Remain And Trade Is Shifting To Other States
Though pill mills continue to be a big problem in Florida, where lax laws have fueled Kentucky's prescription pill trade, there is evidence that the tides are slowly turning in the Sunshine State. "Registered pain clinics in Florida have dropped from...

- Switch To Electronic Medical Records Not Without Concerns
Though touted as a way to improve patient care and supported by federal funding, Kentucky physicians have concerns about switching to electronic medical records. Doctors are worried about cost, lost productivity, the possibility that the technology becomes...

- Dr. Barry Waldman Featured In The Baltimore Sun Today
The Baltimore Sun this week featured a question-and-answer column on arthritis with Barry Waldman, M.D., co-director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The...

- Hip Resurfacing At The Rubin Institute For Advanced Orthopedics At Sinai Hospital
An exciting alternative to standard total hip replacement surgery is now available at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics (RIAO) at Sinai Hospital. Hip resurfacing has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the...



Health News








.