THIS COVID Change Will Likely Endure: Berger’s Experience

One of the great orthopedic innovators and clinical thought leaders of our time, Richard Berger, M.D., with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR), is used to being a change agent. He’s “lived the dream” of being outfront and leading with potentially disruptive surgical innovations. He knows both the thrill of creating better outcomes for patients and the pain of arrows in the back. He knows…it goes with the territory he has staked out.

Last year, as we all experienced, he had disruption visited upon him.

It is true, of course, that necessity is the mother of invention. And when COVID-19 stopped elective surgeries and the traditional in-person process of treating patients…telemedicine became the new connection between patient and surgeon.

Dr. Berger embraced it and, in his hands, it has become a valuable and, yes, enduring tool that will likely endure post-COVID-19.

“Our goal is to foster an environment—especially during this time of telehealth—where patients feel like they are more cared for than ever,” says Dr Berger. “We are thrilled to be able to tailor orthopedic care to meet each patient’s needs. Now they can do the telehealth conferences from the comfort of their own home. They don’t have to take time off of their jobs, sacrifice vacation days or find a caretaker for a loved one.”

And, as Dr. Berger is showing, it extends his practice beyond the geographic bounds of the greater Chicago area.

Dr. Berger, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from the Massachusette Institute of Technology, has developed a novel minimally invasive hip and knee joint replacement procedure that does not require the cutting of muscle, ligaments or tendons. His patients have reported a quicker recovery and less pain than patients undergoing traditional hip and knee replacements.

Dr. Berger, the first surgeon to ever perform more than 11,000 outpatient joint replacements, has made it possible for many of his patients to walk independently and leave the hospital the same day of surgery.

During the pandemic, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has followed stringent safety protocols and has limited person-to-person contact. This includes routine screening of patients and employees, limited visitors and new protective OR equipment. Dr. Berger’s medical team follows stringent surgical guidelines and patients are required take a COVID-19 test, do “touchless” temperature checks and wear masks.

Those who don’t want to come in for a traditional visit are welcome to attend their pre- and post-surgical visits virtually, meaning that the only travel required is to Chicago for their procedure. For additional support, Dr. Berger’s assistants provide a detailed virtual pre-operative surgical educational session.

“Telehealth visits are beneficial to patients,” said Dr. Berger to OTW. “It is so convenient for them to stay home and still get world-class medical care. We initially thought telehealth would have serious limitations regarding how we diagnose and treat patients. We were wrong. While there are some exceptions, I can generally gather all I need to properly diagnose and treat a patient during a telehealth visit. Even though I am able to do this, I really miss the personal interaction and spending face to face time with my patients. After all, the reason I became a doctor was to interact with and help people.”

When OTW asked about the challenges involved in telehealth, Dr. Berger stated, “Since it is important to see how the patient is moving, it takes creative strategies to properly diagnose a condition during a telehealth session. Sometimes we have a patient walk away from the camera, then back again so we can observe their gait. We also may have a family member assist us in examining the patient by asking them to bend the patient’s leg or move the joint. If we can observe how the patient is moving during the telehealth session, that saves them a trip to the office.”