Orthopedic Surgery Will Return To Sikeston

by Scott Welton, Standard Democrat
scottw@standard-democrat.com

Missouri Delta Medical Center is laying the foundation for bringing orthopedic surgery back to Sikeston. It has been 20 years since orthopedic surgery was available here.  Jason Schrumpf, senior vice president for MDMC, said hospital officials are excited to have all the elements in place to once again provide a comprehensive orthopedic service line.

“Our goal is to become an orthopedic center of excellence that will deliver personalized care with optimal outcomes,” Schrumpf said. Concrete footing and foundation forms for the facility, the Dr. Leo A. and Dortha M. Bruce Medical Building, are already in place just north of the Sikeston Jaycee Regional Dialysis Center.  The Bruce building will be a 17,700 square foot single-story facility with over 8,700 square feet dedicated to the orthopedic clinic. The target date for its completion is July 1 with services slated to begin within a few weeks of that date.

The foundation for physicians to provide those services goes back nine years when Dr. Cary Sanders began his studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. “He stood up in front of his class during orientation and said he wanted to start an orthopedic practice in Sikeston,” Schrumpf said. While Sanders is originally from southern Illinois, Sanders’ wife is from this area, Schrumpf explained. Sanders is now finishing up his residency at Tulane University in New Orleans and will begin practicing at MDMC in July. Joining him at the Bruce building in August will be a friend he made during a residency rotation, Dr. Larry Conley, who is finishing his residency in orthopedic surgery at the Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, Mich.

The timing for Sander’s dream to be realized in Sikeston couldn’t be better. Schrumpf said the demand nationwide for orthopedic surgery is projected to grow by 24 percent over the next decade. “People are living longer and enjoying more active lifestyles,” Schrumpf said. Being able to provide orthopedic care at MDMC is a matter of “taking care of the needs of our area; providing a better quality of life,” Schrumpf explained. “The technology has advanced in recent years: artificial joints last longer so they’re putting them in at an earlier age,” he said. “They used to replace joints at around age 65-70. Now they are doing it in the early 50′s.”

These advances also mean there are fewer complications associated with joint replacements, according to Schrumpf. “People don’t want to be in chronic pain, so they are more willing to have these procedures at a younger age so they can return to a more-active lifestyle,” he said. Schrumpf said advances in orthopedics have reduced the inpatient stay for total-joint procedures almost by half from a week down to about four days from admission to discharge.

While replacing knees and hips are likely to be the most common orthopedic procedures, MDMC will be able to provide the full range of surgical and non-surgical services for musculo-skeletal system disorders from arising from trauma, such as car accidents or falls; sports injuries; degenerative diseases; infections and tumors; and even congenital disorders, such as club feet. Sharon Urhahn, director of marketing for MDMC, said having orthopedic surgery available here will make things even easier on both the patient and family members during the inpatient and outpatient portions of recovery.

Upon opening, the orthopedic facility will have 10 examination rooms, an X-ray machine, a cast room and a room for doing minor surgical procedures. There will also be space to bring in a third orthopedic surgeon in the future. “MDMC is committed to providing our patients an orthopedic program with an earned reputation for excellence, compassion, quality and cost-effective care,” Schrumpf said.