In the News
Exercise after knee replacement: Why a modified workout may make sense
Doctors encourage physical activity after knee replacement surgery. But it might mean adapting your workouts in ways that lessen the impact on your knees.
Joint replacement at 40? Younger patients seek new hips and knees
Not long ago, getting a new knee or hip was a rite of passage traditionally reserved for retirement and beyond, but joint replacement has become increasingly popular among patients in their 40s and 50s — and sometimes even younger.
Dr. Halawi gives a talk at the 8th Annual MENA International Orthopaedics Congress in Dubai.
Revision hip replacement gives patient a second chance
For Baylor Medicine patient Hector Luna, giving up on sports due to hip pain was never an option. In 2016, at just 21 years old, he underwent a hip replacement surgery after enduring pain for years from a developmental hip disorder. Unfortunately, even after his hip replacement, he struggled to return to competitive breakdancing and playing sports due to persistent pain.
Momentum Builds for Opioid-Free Total Joints
Mo Halawi, MD, grew up in Lebanon, where he remembers his grandmother receiving acetaminophen to manage her pain after a major surgery. When he began practicing medicine in America, he was surprised to see surgeons passing out opioids like candy. “In many other countries, over-the-counter medications are sufficient to treat post-op pain,” says Dr. Halawi, an orthopedic surgeon and joint replacement specialist in Houston. “The perception of pain is different in the U.S., where there’s a reflexive culture to use opioids as an immediate intervention. But opioids cause a host of unwanted side effects after surgery. Instead of complaining about pain, patients suffer from non-surgical issues such as constipation, nausea and vomiting.”
Tackling Racial Disparity in Orthopaedic Joint Replacement Surgeries
Dr. Halawi, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief Quality Officer for Musculoskeletal Services at Baylor College of Medicine gives a podcast interview with the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses.
Fighting the Opioid epidemic
Houston doctors work to eliminate overuse of narcotics after surgeries
When it came to surgery, this wasn't George Sabin's first rodeo.
He landed in the hospital at age 13 after a motorcycle accident. Five years later, another wreck brought him back to the emergency room and ultimately resulted in the loss of his arm.
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Innovative approach to opioid free joint replacement surgery
Opioid-free joint replacement surgery: an innovative approach
In the midst of a national opioid crisis and with increasing data showing the adverse effects of opioids, it’s important for patients to know that they can now recover from major surgical procedures without the need for opioids. A Baylor College of Medicine orthopedic surgeon, a pioneer of this innovative approach, explains how he is able to successfully offer opioid-free surgery recovery to his patients.
Addressing racial disparities in orthopedic care
Experts at Baylor’s Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery are calling for expansion of national databases to include more granular information to answer this question. Based on a number of studies led by Dr. Mohamad Halawi, associate professor of orthopedic surgery, current surgical databases lack information on factors such as social determinants of health, patient reported outcome measures, and point-of-care quality metrics that collectively prevent an impactful root cause analysis.
A Recipe For Successful Same-day Hip And Knee Replacements
There is a recipe for success to go home on the same day of the surgery while still maintaining the same recovery criteria as those who require overnight hospitalization or longer. What I do is facilitate patients achieving those milestones a lot quicker,” said Dr. Mohamad Halawi, faculty in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor.
Dr. Halawi gives a talk at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
Treated vs. Untreated Depressed Patients, What Do We Really Know?
How do treated and untreated depressed patients fare after total joint arthroplasty (TJA)? This is what a team of multicenter researchers set out to determine.
What Triggers Inpatient Stays for Medicare TKAs?
Seeking to dig into the feasibility and wisdom of outpatient TKA in Medicare-aged patients a team from the University of Connecticut undertook a study titled, “Predicting Inpatient Status After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Medicare-Aged Patients.”
Has postop lab work run amok?
A study 319 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) has found that postoperative lab work has run amok. A retrospective review of cases performed at a single institution over a two-year period says "yes."
Mohamad Halawi, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington and co-author explained his rationale for the study to OTW, "The practice of ordering laboratory tests on a routine basis is a lingering habit from the days when hip replacement was a lengthy operation, was often performed under general anesthesia, and not infrequently resulted in a number of hemodynamic derangements, particularly acute kidney injury and symptomatic anemia."
Predicting medicare candidates for outpatient hip arthroplasty
Much as it did with total knee arthroplasty, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) is gearing up to promote outpatient total hip arthroplasty.
Mohamad Halawi, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington and co-author on the study, explained the objective of this study to OTW. "Effective January 1, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) removed total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from its inpatient-only list. This move has created significant confusion among surgeons and hospitals due to limited information on the selection criteria for outpatient vs. inpatient surgery in this patient population."
Same-day joint replacements: Simplifying the process
FARMINGTON -- Sometimes, medical advances don’t happen in one big “Eureka!” moment. Sometimes, like with hip and knee replacements, they happen slowly, over the span of many years, as much from a change in thinking as anything.
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Dr. Halawi gives a talk at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.
Outpatient total knee arthroplasty is becoming the new standard: 3 research insights
An article published in the Journal of Arthroplasty examined the increased prevalence of outpatient total knee arthroplasty, and how surgeons and health systems can adapt to the new trend.
David Backstein, MD, Mohamad J. Halawi, MD, and Michael A. Mont, MD, examined the need and the benefits of outpatient arthroplasty as well as areas for improvement.
Next Up: Same-Day Hip or Knee Replacement
Imagine coming to the hospital in the morning, getting your hip or knee replaced, and then going home that same day.
That dream is starting to become a reality for some UConn Health patients, thanks to the arrival of Dr. Mo Halawi, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint reconstructive surgery.
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An American Dream Story
For a man of just 34 years, Dr. Mo Halawi has seen a lot. Born in war-torn Lebanon, he came to the United States alone at the age of 17, against his parents’ wishes. It wasn’t an easy journey, but he’s now a successful orthopedic surgeon, proving that hard work and determination truly can lead to the American Dream.
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ONCOLOGY, CANCER GENOMICS RESEARCH ON AGENDA FOR UH GRAD Mohamad Halawi’s Determination Pays off with Multiple Awards, Medical School Scholarship
HOUSTON, Oct. 28, 2005 – When Mohamad Halawi left war-torn southern Lebanon a few years ago, he had virtually no resources but unlimited optimism. Since then, this University of Houston graduate’s hard work and intelligence have paid off with an NIH fellowship, more than a quarter of a million dollars in scholarship money and numerous other honors.
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