“The majority of my patients are golfers, and they love the simulator,” aid Spencer Summers, MD, a hip and knee surgeon at HSS Florida. “It’s the kind that professionals use, with a huge screen that could make you feel like you’re at a golf course in Augusta or Pebble Beach. It’s very impressive.” 

Utilizing advanced radar-tracking technology, the simulator captures detailed data on swing mechanics, ball launch and flight patterns. “The wealth of information enables our physical therapists to design highly personalized rehabilitation plans in a safe, controlled environment,” said Ryan Simovitch, MD, director of the shoulder division and co-medical director at HSS Florida. 

Read the full article at essential.golf

Golfers may be prone to injury due to the shoulder movement involved in repetitive golf swings, which puts stress on the muscles and tendons, Dr. Simovitch explained. To avoid a rotator cuff injury, he advises players to maintain good form, strength and flexibility. They may want to consult a physical therapist or certified trainer or find exercises from a reliable source online.

For golfers experiencing symptoms that don't improve with rest after a week or two, he recommends consultation with a health care provider.

Read the full article at magazine.essential.golf.

Together, the two organizations will offer comprehensive musculoskeletal care, covering everything from, “Why does my shoulder do that?” to surgery, rehab, and getting patients back to doing the things they probably shouldn’t have done in the first place.

“This collaboration reflects a unique depth of shared responsibility and opportunity to increase access to the world’s highest quality orthopedic care in Palm Beach County,” said HSS President and CEO and Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus Bryan T. Kelly, M.D., M.B.A.

“This partnership will help make Jupiter Medical Center the premier destination for musculoskeletal care in the region,” said Ryan W. Simovitch, M.D., an HSS sports medicine surgeon based in Florida. 

Read the full article at ryortho.com/

HSS earned its reputation for cutting-edge orthopedic care in New York City. In recent years, it has expanded into Palm Beach County, with a state-of-the-art location in West Palm Beach and an additional office in Wellington.

“There's a large concentration of patients in that area who could benefit from our services,” Dr. Simovitch said from HSS’s expansive complex in West Palm Beach. “And I don't think it's just specific to Jupiter. It's a good launching point, so that we could also serve patients farther north into Martin and Indian River Counties. We have a fair number of patients who come down to West Palm from those areas now, and we want to make access easier for them.” 

Read the full article at jupiterinfluencer.com. 

The study is recruiting patients with knee, hip or shoulder arthritis to determine how the disease affects club swing and other components of the golf game. Participants will be assessed again following joint replacement and subsequent rehabilitation to determine the effect of surgery on their ability to play golf.

“High-end golf simulators have optically enhanced radar tracking technology that provides a considerable amount of data in terms of golf swing, ball launch and ball flight,” explained Ryan W. Simovitch, MD, director of the shoulder division and co-medical director at HSS Florida, and the study’s principal investigator. 

This article was published in the print edition of Golf Central (Volume 25, Issue 11). 

Golf simulators are also finding their way into physical therapy practices. “The high-end models have optically enhanced radar tracking technology that provides an incredible amount of data in terms of golf swing, ball launch and ball flight,” said Jamie Osmak, CSCS, FRCms, TPI, USGTF, exercise physiologist at HSS. 

For devoted players looking to get back in the game after an injury or surgery, the objective information provided by the simulator can be a valuable supplement to the doctor’s recommendations and rehab program developed by a physical therapist or exercise physiologist.

“Golfers with a musculoskeletal injury often progress well through physical therapy but feel they need something more to give them confidence in returning to the course,” said Andrew Paul Creighton, DO, physiatrist at HSS. 

Patient education is critical when a golfer has an orthopedic condition or sustains an injury, according to James F. Wyss, MD, physiatrist at HSS “The goal is to teach golfers exercises to help them move better and get stronger.  We discuss the kinds of exercises they do when they’re not playing to improve their physical condition and handle golfing better,” he explained.

A novel study at HSS Florida will utilize a new golf simulator to evaluate players with arthritis both before and after joint replacement surgery. “Our system employs advanced technology and complex algorithms to deliver a realistic and immersive virtual golf experience,” explains Ryan W. Simovitch, MD, sports medicine surgeon at HSS and principal investigator.

Read the full article at essential.golf.

Dr. Simovitch said torn rotator cuffs are the majority of what he sees in his practice and are very common among athletes of all ages and become more prevalent as people get older. 

According to Dr. Simovitch, the most common symptoms to look out for are night pain, reduced range of motion, and loss of shoulder strength. 

In terms of treatment, some patients do well with physical therapy and injections.  For others with profound symptoms who haven't responded to these modalities, a conversation about surgery is typically the next step. 

Dr. Simovitch underscored the importance of warming up and conditioning before working out and encouraged people to be careful of overhead activities particularly with weights.

This episode aired live on March 10, 2023. Listen to the podcast at podcasts.apple.com. 

Ryan W. Simovitch, MD, sports medicine surgeon and Associate Medical Director of Ambulatory Services at HSS Florida, explained the leadership team was determined to create a welcoming environment. The waiting area includes a calming color scheme of pastel blues and grays, and features floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping ocean-facing views of intracoastal Palm Beach Island. The design sets a serene scene that is carried throughout the entire facility, noted Dr. Simovitch.

HSS is dedicated to preventing bottlenecks in the sterile processing department, which is comprised of top-of-the-line washing and sterilizing equipment. You can only run as efficiently as your sterile processing department can reprocess instruments, cited Dr. Simovitch.

Read the article at Outpatientsurgery.net. A subscription is required to access.

Dr. Simovitch explained opioids are still prescribed to control pain, however much has changed over the last two years. Surgeons have made a concerted effort to minimize and sometimes eliminate the use of opioids after surgery because of the serious side effects and unanticipated consequences of prolonged opioid usage after surgery. In place of opioids, surgeons will now often use multimodal anesthesia. For example, prescribing acetaminophen alongside an anti-inflammatory medication can mitigate pain when used in conjunction with nerve blocks. Ice is also an important aspect of pain control. Nerve blocks historically helped for the first eight to 16 hours after surgery, but when they ceased to work (when the numbing medication wore off), patients would frequently have severe rebound shoulder pain.

Dr. Simovitch continued to say at HSS Florida there is a commitment to increasing the use of multimodal anesthesia and nerve blocks for shoulder surgery as alternatives to opioids, and have yielded very positive results.

This article appeared in the print edition on January 31, 2021.

Dr. Simovitch explains that moderation is key for injury prevention. “There needs to be some down time,” he says, noting that playing sports year round is not what our bodies are meant to do.

According to Dr. Simovitch, it’s important to stretch and to maintain strength to decrease the risk of overuse injuries.

This aired on December 29, 2020.

Dr. Simovitch explained computer navigation has ensured patients undergoing anatomic and reverse shoulder replacements an accuracy of implant positioning that wasn’t possible before. Inoperative positional trackers are used to communicate with a computer to follow a surgeon-prepared surgical plan. The system provides real time feedback for the preparation of bone and insertion of shoulder replacement implants. Surgeons can now execute their preoperative plan within mere degrees of accuracy, said Dr. Simovitch.

Additionally, Dr. Simovitch noted he and others are exploring how machine learning models can develop algorithms to predict a patient’s satisfaction, range of motion, pain and function after surgery. This technology provides an accurate glimpse into the future, informing the surgeon and patient what to expect before an incision has even been made.

 This feature appeared in the print edition on December 13, 2020.

Dr. Simovitch and five other design surgeons developed the technology for the stemless implant to preserve more bone, making it easer to do a second replacement if one is needed someday. Dr. Simovitch noted, “Recovery time is quicker and patients have less stiffness and pain.”

Read the full article at Cityandshore.com. This article also appeared in the August 2020 print edition.

Ryan W. Simovitch, MD, Associate Medical Director for Ambulatory Services at HSS Florida cited, “We’re safeguarding our patients and the community, and continually evaluating our policies and rolling out new digital offerings to help people maintain their musculoskeletal wellness under these temporary challenging circumstances.”

This article appeared in the Summer 2020 print edition.

HSS is eager to bring its medical services to the growing, aging and affluent Florida community. Last year, 3,000 Florida residents traveled for care to HSS in New York. "We want to deliver care closer to where people live and work,” said Mr. Shapiro. HSS also hopes to be a destination center for all sports medicine needs in the Southeast U.S., including professional athletes as well as teenage athletes, cited Justin Oppenheimer, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at HSS.

David W. Altchek, MD, sports medicine surgeon at HSS, will serve as the Medical Director of HSS Florida. Joining him is HSS orthopedic trauma surgeon, Nicholas Sama, MD, as associate medical director for inpatient services; sports medicine surgeon Ryan W. Simovitch, MD, as associate medical director for ambulatory services; hand an upper extremity surgeon, Michelle G. Carlson, MD; sports medicine surgeon, James B. Carr II, MD; physiatrist Kathleen L. Davenport, MD; and hip and knee surgeon, John L. Wang, MD.

Read the article at Palmbeachpost.com. This article also appeared in the February 2 print edition. 

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