Thursday, March 17, 2016

Howard Marans MD: Is Knee Arthritis Treatment Covered By Insurance?

The symptoms of arthritis can negatively affect daily living routines. Arthritis creates pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. When a person has arthritis in one or both knees, everyday activities become extremely difficult.


Even though arthritis is incurable, finding options to manage the painful symptoms will aid in staying active. Various factors including the degree of degeneration will help determine the best type of knee arthritis treatment for each individual.


Medical Insurance

The costs of knee arthritis treatment will vary with each person’s particular insurance policy coverage. Calling the medical insurance provider’s customer service representative will help determine the amount of coverage a patient has for knee arthritis treatment. Each health insurance policy is different. Specific guidelines for knee arthritis treatment may need to be followed for the utmost medical insurance coverage compensation.

•Prior recommendation and referral from the family or primary physician
•The orthopedic specialists must be within the medical insurance care network
•Co-pays or deductibles may be part of the out of pocket costs as outlined in the insurance policy
•Non-surgical measures may first need to be implemented prior to surgery costs coverage

Non-Surgical Options

Under many insurance policies, surgical options are often viewed as the last resort in knee arthritis treatment. An accurate diagnosis is the first step in determining the type of individualized knee arthritis treatment.

Unless the degree of degeneration is too severe, a patient will typically begin treatment with non-surgical options to relieve the symptoms.

•Over the counter or prescription drugs to reduce inflammation and pain
•Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections
•Weight management to help reduce the pressure and stress on the knee joints
•Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the knee to help improve movement and flexibility
•Walking aids or a cane to help support stability during movement
•Knee brace to provide extra support

Surgical Options

If the non-surgical options do not yield the desired results, the next step in the knee arthritis treatment process is surgery. Knee joint replacement is one of the most effective methods used. The joint is removed and replaced with prosthesis. The costs vary with medical insurance guidelines and other contributing factors.

•Geographic location
•Length of hospital stay
•Type of prosthesis used
•Surgical approach
•Pre-existing medical conditions that may require specialized care
•Amount of time in the operating room
•Anesthesia costs
•Unanticipated medical care

Each component of treatment will add to one’s final medical expense. Without medical insurance or limited coverage, a knee joint replacement procedure could cost a patient over $50,000. Knowing the knee arthritis treatment options and following guidelines will help keep the costs manageable.

Located in Orange County, Dr. Howard Marans strives to return a patient back to a pain-free lifestyle. Dr. Marans will create an individualized knee treatment approach. Each step in the medical treatment program will be explained in great detail to allow the patient time to ask questions. Following each step of the patient’s progress, Dr. Marans will implement a precise execution for knee arthritis treatment approach.

Knee Arthritis Treatment Provider

With a consistently busy practice for over 33 years, Dr. Howard Marans provides the best knee arthritis treatment options available knee to return his patients back to their active lifestyle. Dr. Marans accepts various types of medical insurance, including PPOs. It is the Doctor’s goal to provide the highest level of care without an overwhelming financial burden for the patient. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 714.979.8981.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Dr Howard Marans MD: Who is the Best Knee Specialist in Tustin?


People who lead active lifestyles understand knee pain will occur at some point. Participation in sports, training, or a fitness routine can create all types of problems for the knee.

Best Knee Specialist
From simple muscle strains to serious injuries, knee pain can abruptly halt one’s active lifestyle. Chronic pain may decrease participation in activities dramatically. Finding the best knee specialist in Tustin should be the next step.

Knee Injury Symptoms
Symptoms will vary with each person based on the degree of injury or the stage of the degenerative disease. The best knee specialist in Tustin – Dr. Howard Marans – will be able to determine if the symptoms are part of a larger problem.

•Pain is often the first indicator of an injury or disease
•The pain does not subside over time
•Simple knee movements may increase the amount of pain
•Swelling of the knee creating extra pressure and pain
•Difficulty standing or placing full weight on the knee
•Redness or tenderness to the touch around the knee area

After experiencing any knee injury symptoms, the decision to make an appointment with an orthopedic specialist should be a priority. Early diagnosis and treatment will help in achieving the desired outcome allowing the person to resume normal activities.

Common Knee Problems
The best knee specialist in Tustin will start with a precise diagnosis to determine the reason for the pain. Medical history, physical examination, x-rays, MRIs, and other imaging devices are primarily used.

•Arthritis commonly effects the knees of elderly adults
•Arthritis is a degenerative disease causing stiffness, inflammation, and pain in the knee joint
•Dislocated knee cap
•Bursitis occurs from overuse or repetitive motion of the knee joint
•The bursa sac swells, creating pain in the knee
•Knee ligament injuries
•Knee cartilage tears

Each type of knee problem will require a specialized treatment approach based on the patient’s diagnosis.

Treatment
In many cases, the only treatment available is surgery to repair the damage or help eliminate the painful symptoms of a degenerative disease. Milder injuries may be treated with non-surgical methods to help engage in the body’s healing process.

•Resting and avoiding activities that require knee movement
•Elevation of the knee with a pillow during times of inactivity
•Cold compresses for approximately 20 minutes every 4 hours or as directed by a healthcare professional
•Anti-inflammatory medication to help fight pain and reduce swelling
•Physical Therapy to allow the muscle to be strengthened to add to the flexibility of the knee
•Steroid injections to help reduce painful symptoms including swelling

Best Knee Specialist in Tustin
Each treatment option will depend on the findings of the initial diagnosis. The best knee specialist in Tustin, Dr. Howard Marans, has over 20 years of consistent experience with all types of musculoskeletal issues. Dr. Marans works with each patient to design an individualized treatment program yielding best results possible. Dr. Marans strives to provide the best knee treatment in Tustin, returning his patients to a normal, active lifestyle. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 714.979.8981.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Dr. Howard Marans: Your most trusted orthopedic health partner for life

As soon as you enter the office of Dr. Howard Marans, you’re going to feel a transforming and healing presence. His absolute care for his patients for 29 years makes him one of the most recommended physicians by his peers in Southern California.

Howard is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1993 and recertified in 2003. He’s also certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1989.

He completed his pre-med and master’s degree at the University of Toronto. He finished his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Toronto under the Gallie Surgical Program in 1989.

Dr. Howard Marans completed his orthopedic fellowship in knee and shoulder at Orthopaedic & Arthritic Centre in Toronto in 1990 and after a year, he completed once again his fellowship in knee and shoulder at SPORTSMED•SA, and at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

He also gained some achievements in his career such as a J.C. Kennedy Award for Excellency in Sports Medicine, and Excellence in Research Award (Sports Sciences) American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Howard is affiliated with 6 hospitals, namely Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, West Anaheim Medical Center, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center, Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, and College Medical Center.

For 19 years, Howard delivered volunteer medical assistance and coverage to many colleges and high schools. He is currently the team physician for Orange Lutheran High School and Tustin High School. He previously took care of Northwood High School (Irvine, California) and Concordia University. He was also an officer for the Special Olympics. He continues to provide medical coverage at several local, national, and international cycling events.

His team has a passion for putting patients first. They consist of professional and efficient individuals who are always ready to give their utmost care for their patients. In particular, they provide prompt care using established orthopedic treatments and advanced surgical and arthroscopic procedures.

Because of the wonders of modern technology, many born deformities can now be corrected. Deformed facial bones can be replaced or reshaped. On the other hand, Dr. Howard Marans can provide a normal-appearing prosthesis to those who became victims of a grave disease such as cancer which causes them to lose a limb.

Prosthetics is the design, fabrication, and fitting of custom-built artificial limbs or other assistive devices. These devices can restore the function and appearance of a full or partial missing limb as completely as possible.

Because of the big differences in human anatomy, the creation of prosthesis involves an intricate and custom procedure that requires a remarkable skill and an advanced technology.

Arthroscopy is one of the recent technological advances that Dr. Howard Marans has been using to help a lot of orthopedic patients. Many orthopedic surgical procedures don’t need an open incision to fully expose the joint. Flexible arthroscopes can now be inserted through a small incision in the skin and then into a joint. And after that it can be manipulated through the joint to locate and determine the nature of the injury.

Howard is a natural – he is benevolent and incisive. No wonder a lot of people trust him and respect him as an orthopedic surgeon.