By focusing on minimal tissue damage rather than small scar sizes, an SIUH orthopedic surgeon helps clarify procedural terminology, break stereotypes, and improve outcomes

By Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos by Amessé Photography

As an orthopedic surgeon and reconstruction specialist, Dr. Yevgeniy Korshunov has spent a great deal of time researching and practicing soft tissue balancing in knee replacement, while also refining his skill in a slightly less invasive alternative to traditional hip replacement: the direct anterior approach. Both time tested techniques, the procedures focus on joint preservation and the gentle handling of tissue surrounding incisions, and Dr. Korshunov says that’s an important point for joint replacement candidates to consider.

“In many surgical situations, minimally invasive techniques have become popular for a variety of reasons, of course, but there are many misconceptions about them that need to be addressed,” noted Korshunov, who obtained surgical privileges at Staten Island University Hospital this past August, lending his expertise and familiarity with these advancements. The anterior approach he practices allows the surgical team to reach the hip by going between two muscles rather than by removing and then reattaching a muscle. The procedure usually results in less post-operative pain and faster rehabilitation and recovery.

“When people think about a minimally invasive or arthroscopic procedure, they immediately think of a small scar,” the doctor added. “But what is not considered is the confined environment that a surgeon faces and the damaged tissue that results from such a small operative field. I think it’s important to break the beneficial stereotype of a small scar. Real minimally invasive surgery is the minimal and gentle handling of tissue. Recovery is not based on how small the incision is, but how well the tissue around the joint is preserved—and that preservation is our main goal going in.”

Korshunov, who majored in English in his native Russia before coming to America and earning an undergraduate degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, attended medical school and completed a residency program in orthopedics at SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn and a fellowship in adult reconstruction at Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He rotated through SIUH while studying at SUNY Health, and explained that his experiences in the operating room there led him to pursue this subspecialty.

“I wanted to get involved in orthopedics in general because there is instant gratification in this field,” he noted. “You can do something with your hands and instantly see a patient get better. During my training, hip and knee replacement became an interest of mine because there was something very scientific and controlled about the procedures. It was a very challenging, interesting, and fascinating area of work and research.”

Dr. Korshunov now represents NY Orthopedics at SIUH, one of the largest orthopedic group medical practices in the greater metropolitan area and which just opened its fifth office in the borough. His reconstructive orthopedic approaches are just a part of what the NY Orthopedic team at SIUH is focused on.

“Patients do not need to go to Manhattan to get quality healthcare. The services and the medical team they need are right here.”

There, doctors offer a range of services for illnesses and injuries affecting bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Hip replacement is one of the department’s most common procedures.

“In most cases, hip replacement is such an effective and successful treatment,” Korshunov said. “Six months after surgery, the procedure is just a memory for the patient. My goal is to make sure there is minimal disruption in lifestyle right from the start. Patients can usually walk the same day surgery is done, and that is the true definition of a minimally invasive procedure.”

Methods like soft tissue balancing during knee replacement, he explained, provide a kind of soft-tissue envelope around the implant, preserving surrounding tissue and allowing for a faster, less painful recovery.

“Each of these techniques really helps patients get back to regular activities in a quicker, easier fashion,” Korshunov said.

In the future, the doctor pointed out that technological and surgical advances will take his field to an entirely new level, allowing for even quicker patient turnaround and faster healing.

“There is now talk of doing certain joint replacement surgeries as out-patient procedures,” he said. “It’s not for everyone—you would have to carefully select the patient—but it’s possible. That is one area we are planning to work on and research to better serve patients here in Staten Island.”

Dr. Korshunov is focused on bringing the very best care to his patients here in the borough, minimizing their recovery times and allowing them to resume normal activities in a timely fashion.

“Patients do not need to go to Manhattan to get quality healthcare,” he concluded. “The services and the medical team they need are right here in their own neighborhood.”

NY Orthopedics – Staten Island
1870 Richmond Rd. / 718.285.7118
nyorthodoc.com