Vol. 17, No. 2
Spring/Summer 2007
Hand and Feet - From Buttoning to Toe-tapping, they're the 'Every Day' Tools
Advanced Wound Healing Comes to Winthrop
Winthrop Selected as National
Training Center for CyberKnife¨
Winthrop Celebrates Survivors
Healthy KIDS Takes the Show on the Road
Precious Purls Project
Knits Memories for New Moms & Babies
Volunteer Louise Mazzaro Saluted for 33,500 Hours of Service
Smiles for Scott Foundation
Brings Smiles to Pediatric Patients
Smiles for Scott Foundation
Brings Smiles to Pediatric Patients
Golfers Raise More than $400,000 Under Sunny Skies
at Winthrop’s 22nd Annual Golf Tournament
10th Annual Opera
Night Hits a High Note
First Annual Black & White Ball Raises More than $300,000 for CCK
Sleep Disorders Center Achieves Fourth Reaccreditation
Travel Smart: Visit Winthrop's Travel Center
Miracle Foundation Makes
Second Grant of $50,000
Research at Winthrop Addresses Vioxx Heart Attack Risk
Accolades for Winthrop
New Smoke-Free
Campus Policy
Michael Magro Foundation
Donates VeinViewer Imaging System
Annual Swim-a-Thon
Makes a Splash for Pediatrics
New Music Therapy Program
Helps Patients Cope
Back to Publications
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 (L.-R.) Glenn Teplitz, MD
and Seth Queler, MD
Hands
A range of daily activities would be impossible
without the healthy functioning of the
elbows, wrists and hands.
When Joan Meehan of Floral Park realized
that everyday activities had become extremely
challenging and in some cases, dangerous, she
knew that treatment was long overdue. "I had
waited so long that it had gotten to the point
where both of my hands were closed tightly like
fists," said Ms. Meehan. "I wasn't able to do
simple things - like clapping my hands - and
driving was no longer safe."
Ms. Meehan soon found herself in the care
of Glenn Teplitz, MD, Vice Chairman of the
Hospital's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
and Chief of Hand Service.
Dr. Teplitz's extensive expertise in the field
of orthopaedics is focused on the diagnosis, conservative
management and surgical treatment of
hand and upper extremity disorders. He began
his specialization in the field with an orthopaedic
residency at the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey followed by a fellowship
in hand and upper extremity surgery at the
Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
"Using advanced techniques such as
arthroscopy - a surgical procedure that involves the
placement of a thin fiberoptic scope into the joint
space in order to provide a clear picture of the
internal structure - Winthrop's Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery provides a full rage of treatments
for pain and injury to the arm, forearm, wrist
and hand," explained Dr. Teplitz.
 Joan Meehan
"I see patients
from all spectrums -
from pediatric to
geriatric, sedentary
to athletic," noted
Dr. Teplitz.
Ms. Meehan was
diagnosed with
rheumatoid arthritis -
an autoimmune disease that affects over two million
Americans and causes chronic inflammation
of the joints. After undergoing joint replacement
surgery in both hands, today Ms. Meehan is
enjoying life and is back to her normal, daily
activities, which include volunteering in the
Hospital's Emergency Room two days a week.
"I wish I hadn't waited so long to seek treatment,"
she said, "but today I am able to do a lot
of things that I couldn't do before the surgeries."
Dr. Teplitz is also renowned for his expertise in
treating scapholunate ligament injuries of the wrist
in athletes through the use of a procedure called
arthroscopic electrothermal collagen shrinkage.
This innovative treatment involves the
application of heat using a specialized
probe to shrink and tighten tissues and
rebuild collagen fibers, resulting in a
more stable joint. The advantages
include minimally invasive surgery and
expedited return to physical activities.
Feet
Feet are also remarkably complex
and are generally taken for granted -
that is, until something goes wrong.
With each foot containing 28 bones,
33 joints and more than 100 muscles,
tendons and ligaments, it's no wonder
many Americans experience foot
problems of varying degrees at some
point in their lives.
 Caitlin O’Hara gets back to dancing.
Dr. Queler, who specializes in disorders
of the foot and ankle, joined
Winthrop's Department of Orthopaedic
Surgery in August 2006 following the
completion of elite fellowship training
in foot and ankle surgery at the
University of Pennsylvania Health
Systems in Philadelphia.
Treating a range of ailments
including strains and fractures, flatfoot,
and Achilles tendon disorders,
Dr. Queler is committed to meeting
the needs of every patient through
comprehensive evaluation and treatment
that is designed to help
individuals return to an active, painfree
lifestyle. He did just that with
Caitlin O'Hara.
Ms. O'Hara, a dance major entering
her junior year at Adelphi
University, has been dancing her
whole life. It wasn't until two years
ago that she began to experience pain
when flexing and pointing her foot.
"It hurt when I
walked, it even hurt
to drive," explained
Ms. O'Hara. "I had
been to other doctors,"
she said, "and
they diagnosed me
with tendonitis." But
she didn't think so -
she had tendonitis in
her knee in the past
and this pain was
very different.
Last fall Ms.
O'Hara met with
Dr. Queler. Agreeing
that her condition
might not have been
tendonitis, he ordered
x-rays, an MRI and a
CT-scan while treating
Ms. O'Hara with
therapy, rest and
anti-inflammatory
medication. When her condition didn't
significantly improve, Dr. Queler discussed
the additional treatment options.
"My philosophy as a conservative
surgeon is to discuss all possible
avenues for treatment before presenting
patients with surgical options,"
said Dr. Queler.
For Ms. O'Hara relief was
achieved via arthroscopic surgery to
remove debris and a bone spur from
her ankle. Following the surgery, she
attended physical therapy and today
she is back to doing what she enjoys
most - dancing.
"I recently went back to the
dance studio," Ms. O'Hara said. "It's
so nice to be able to return to what
I love most… and to not be in pain
while I'm doing it."
Dr. Queler's subspecialty training
includes the conservative and surgical
care of both traumatic injuries to the
lower extremity as well as elective
reconstruction of the adult foot and
ankle. His general surgical
training as well as his
orthopaedic surgical training
was completed at the
University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey
prior to the completion of
his foot and ankle training
at the University of
Pennsylvania. Dr. Queler
is also highly-skilled in
total ankle replacement
surgery, having studied
under one of its developers,
Dr. Michael Castro.
"For patients with
ankle arthritis, total ankle
replacement is a new
surgical option that can
relieve pain while maintaining
motion in the
joint," noted Dr. Queler.
"Although the procedure
is new and candidates
must be carefully selected, it's an
exciting development that offers a
very promising alternative to ankle
fusion - which relieves pain but eliminates
motion in the joint."
Winthrop-University Hospital's
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
combines cutting-edge techniques
with proven traditional methods to
provide patients with the best
orthopaedic care possible. A leader
in total joint replacement, the
Department continues to reach new
frontiers in minimally invasive surgical
procedures, total hip replacement
surgery and total knee replacements.
Recently, Winthrop began to offer the
Zimmer Gender Solutions Knee - a
unique knee replacement designed
especially to fit a woman's anatomy.
For more information about the
breadth of services available within
Winthrop's Department of Orthopaedic
Surgery, call (516) 663-4798.
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