Most injuries and chronic conditions respond favorably to nonsurgical treatments — but surgery is sometimes needed to repair severely damaged bones or tissues. At Denver Sports Medicine and Spine, leading physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists Yani C. Zinis, DO, and Raili Donnelly, PA-C, do everything possible to help you recover without surgery, but they also understand when surgery is the best route to recovery. In those cases, the team provides surgical referrals to the leading surgeons in the Denver, Colorado, area and then comanages your care with your specialist. Call the office or book your appointment online today.

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What are surgical referrals?

Surgical referrals are like a personal introduction to a surgeon who can treat your musculoskeletal condition or injury. At Denver Sports Medicine and Spine, the team of experienced physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists focuses exclusively on nonsurgical treatment of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, so they don’t perform surgical procedures.

While nonsurgical interventions like physical therapy, joint injections, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy have an excellent success rate, there are some times when patients do require surgery. The team recognizes those instances and provides surgical referrals to the surgeons best suited for individual needs.

When might I need a surgical referral?

You might need a surgical referral if you try conservative and advanced nonsurgical treatments without success or get only temporary symptom relief from nonsurgical approaches. Every case is unique, but some of the injuries or conditions that could require a surgical referral include:

  • Arthritis
  • Acute severe rotator cuff tears
  • Acute joint instability/full ligament tears
  • Chronic subluxation
  • Disc herniation causing neurologic deficit/weakness
  • Severe labral tears
  • Advanced meniscus tears
  • Severe ligament tears

Almost any musculoskeletal condition could potentially be so severe that it eventually requires surgery, especially if it’s not treated promptly when symptoms first arise.

How do I get a surgical referral?

If you need a surgical referral, the Denver Sports Medicine and Spine team will carefully evaluate your situation and make sure you have exhausted all non-surgical treatment options.  Occasionally to prolong elective surgeries such as joint replacements, the team may suggest advanced therapies like allograft tissue injections or other alternative therapies before issuing a surgical referral.

If a surgical referral is the best way to help you heal and get back in the game, the team provides a referral to the specific surgeon they feel has the expertise most closely matching your needs.

You may receive paperwork detailing your surgical referral, but in all cases, the Denver Sports Medicine and Spine office also communicates your information directly to the surgeon. Having a referral means you can typically bypass the usual long wait to see the surgeon, allowing you to get the surgery you need and start your recovery sooner.

After your surgery, you may return to Denver Sports Medicine and Spine for assistance with post-surgical rehabilitation.

If you need a surgical referral and personalized physical medicine and rehab afterward, call Denver Sports Medicine and Spine or click on the online scheduling feature now.