Got a Knee Injury, Maybe more? One Patient Speaks on His Care at MMH!

The knees are the first to go. You’ve probably heard that old saying many times: from an athlete and coach ready to retire, a recreational runner sidelined by an injury or an older person hobbled by arthritis.
A correct orthopedic diagnosis depends on the nature of physical conditions like the age of the body, its overall health and nutrition and blood flow back to the bones. The right course of treatment is determined best by correct testing and a skilled orthopedic surgeon.
When someone has spent the great part of their life on the athletic field, they may face numerous orthopedic challenges as time goes on. One community member who spent all but one of his 33 years working in the Massena Central Schools as a Elementary and Junior High School Physical Education teacher as well as Assistant Principal, Principal and an administrator in the District Office and then as a coach of football, basketball and baseball has had to face numerous injuries that lead to surgeries. This coach/teacher faced six orthopedic surgeries to include three knee procedures, two shoulder rotator cuffs and a hip surgery to get back into his game all at Massena Memorial.
John Murray, a well know North Country community member, wanted to tell his story about why he choose Massena Memorial Hospital. At the hospital I receive the best care and have the best surgeon, Dr. Bedros Bakirtzian.
Murray said, “Not everyone has to face this many surgeries, but it is a great comfort knowing my orthopedic surgeon knows my medical and surgical history. And I’ll be in a hospital where it is easy for my family to be with me and I get the best post-op care.”
“I am walking proof, that Dr. Bakirtzian does excellent work. He has fixed some massive tears in my knees as well as rotator cuffs in my shoulders from the many years of throwing a softball. I believe in this doctor so much that many of my family members have followed with his care and at Massena Memorial Hospital.”
“It is very rewarding to see patients come back for further treatments. I feel that if the patient comes back and decides on further treatments, it is a sign that I and my extended staff are doing a good job in taking care of them. It has been the philosophy and practice at Seaway Orthopedics, since its inception in 1990 that the individual as a whole be treated rather than a knee or hip as an example,” explained Dr. Bakirtzian. “We try to attend to all the needs of our patients and if something is not taken care of in house, we make arrangements for them to be seen and treated in other disciplines.”
Dr. Bakirtzian operates on between 40-60 patients per month. These operations range from simple carpal tunnel releases and more complex hand surgical procedures, to arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery to total joint replacements of the shoulder, knees and hips. More and more arthroscopic and outpatient procedures are being done with less time spent in hospital and faster recoveries.
The first and foremost complaint of any patient who comes to see an orthopedic surgeon is pain said Dr. Bakirtzian. “This is the universal complaint. The most rewarding aspect of an orthopedic surgeon’s job is to see the face of the patient who is now free of pain whether it was from conservative or surgical intervention. In fact, it was a 70dysh female patient in Montreal who I met during my surgical rotation in orthopedics in Medical School that got me interested in Orthopedic Surgery. I admitted her as a medical student and she presented in a wheelchair, unable to walk and in constant pain every time she moved her hips. Patient had both hips replaced and she walked out of the hospital, smiling and free of the crippling pain that she had been in for many years prior to her hip replacements.”
Dr. Bakirtzian has worked in Massena for over two decades. He said it has been a pleasure to work and serve the population of Massena all these years very rewarding to see my patients doing well. For more information or to make an appointment, please call Dr. Bakirtzian at 769-9908.

(Pictured above) FAITH IN EXPERIENCE—John Murray is examined by Bedros Bakirtzian, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon. Murray is a walking testimonial on the excellent care he received from Dr. Bakirtzian at Massena Memorial Hospital.