A Family of Firsts - Father & Son Orthpedic Pioneers
September 6, 2006
When Corey F. Burak, MD, began operating on patients late last month; he stepped into his father's footsteps.
Each has the distinction of being the first to bring advanced medical procedures to the community hospital setting. Dr. George Burak performed the first total hip replacement in Westchester County at Phelps Memorial Hosptial in 1969 and, today, Corey continues the tradition of offering patients at Phelps, a community hospital, a procedure that is generally only available at research or university medical centers or large metropolitan hospitals. This surgery, the anterior approach to total hip replacement, is being heralded by the medical community as a major advancement in joint replacement.
Specifically Corey, a graduate of Edgemont high school, may very well be one of the first physicians in the northeastern United States to perform the this approach to total hip replacement. When compared to standard or min-incision total hip replacement, the anterior approach is proven to have fewer postoperative complications, considerably less pain, and quicker recovery, and it produces a more stable hip.
The key to the anterior approach is surgical entry to the joint through an inter-muscular and inter-nervous interval, which allows the surgeon to reach the hip without cutting through muscles or having to detach tendons. In contrast to the more traditional procedures, patients undergoing this approach almost immediately return to normal life. Patients are no longer required to sleep in a special position, use an elevated toilet seat, or special instruments to put on shoes and socks. They can return to driving as soon as they are comfortable. Burak also uses the latest techniques in total and partial knee replacement and revision total joint replacement, which involves replacing an existing prosthesis with a new prosthesis.
Corey brings a wealth of experience to Phelps. After receiving his undergraduate
degree from Clark University, Worcester, MA, and his medical degree from the
SUNY Health Science Center and the Syracuse College of Medicine, Syracuse, NY,
he completed his internship in General Surgery at St. Vincents Hospital and
Medical Center, NY, NY; and his orthopedic surgical residence at Tulane University
Hospital and Medical Center, New Orleans, LA. His fellowships include adult
reconstruction at Tulane and a fellowship in hip and knee arthroplasty at the
Dorr Arthritis Institute, Los Angeles, CA, under the guidance of Dr. Lawrence
Dorr, past president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and
President Elect of the Hip Society. Most recently Dorr was featured on ABC TV's
"Miracle Workers" program, where he restored mobility to a former
dancer who was barely able to walk. Corey brings all of this expertise to Phelps.