No spring and a lot of pain in your tendon? James Andrews, M.D. may have the solution. The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is offering a new advanced treatment that quickly and safely removes the source of tendon pain. As one of the first doctors in the country trained to perform the Focused Aspiration of Scar Tissue (FAST) procedure, Josh Hackel, M.D., helps patients suffering from tendon and soft tissue injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.
Andrews Institute Offering New Tendon Procedure
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Andy Moore of Lake City, Florida, was experiencing a lot of elbow pain, even while performing simple daily tasks such as shaking someone’s hand. After traditional treatment options failed to help, he turned to the Andrews Institute. “Dr. Hackel said my elbow tendon was ‘shredded’ but today, it feels as good as new. I am thrilled at the success of this treatment and how it helped me get back to a normal life, ” said Moore in the August 14, 2012 news release.
The procedure is performed using a local anesthetic, allowing patients to remain awake and alert the entire time. The surgeon uses ultrasound imaging to identify the scar tissue; then a small instrument about the size of a toothpick is inserted into the damaged tendon. Ultrasonic energy then cuts, breaks up and removes the damaged tissue, without disturbing the surrounding healthy tendon tissue. The procedure typically takes about 15 minutes or less, requires only an adhesive bandage to close the microincision, and offers quick recovery time for patients.
“Traditional treatment options for tendon-related injuries do not include a quick recovery, ” said Dr. Hackel. “With the FAST procedure, I am able to change the nature of the disease, and get them back to the activities they love faster than ever before possible.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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