Quickly Returning Patients to Their Lives and Livelihoods
As a hand surgeon who is also a team physician for the Texas Rangers baseball club and the Dallas Stars hockey team, Dr. Steven Niedermeier knows the importance of quickly returning his patients — including those who are not professional athletes — to their lives and livelihoods after a procedure. That’s why, about three years ago, he began offering carpal tunnel release (CTR) with real-time ultrasound guidance, and more recently, he began offering trigger finger release (TFR) using similar technology.
Switching to this approach has been a game-changer for his patients. “To put it simply, my patients’ quality of life preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively is much better,” he says. “By incorporating Sonex Health’s UltraGuideCTR™ and UltraGuideTFR™ technologies into my practice, I’m offering techniques that are minimally invasive, allow patients to be wide awake during the procedure, and gets them back quickly to doing the things they love.”
Increased Patient Volume and Efficiency
Ultrasound guidance has been a game-changer for his practice as well. “It has vastly increased the number of patients I am able to see and treat. I used to have to send patients out for a painful electromyography (EMG) test before I could even talk about carpal tunnel treatment. Now, I can see the nerve, diagnose it, diagnose severity, and talk about treatment options in the same appointment.”
He says patient satisfaction and confidence in his care is also greater because patients can see the anatomy and better understand what’s involved in carpal tunnel release or trigger finger release, both with ultrasound guidance, during that first appointment. And that satisfaction, both pre-and post-procedure, has led to several referrals from patients he’s been able to help.
Screening Events
And to further spread word about this approach, Dr. Niedermeier has been offering free ultrasound screening and patient educational open houses and free screening events. “So many patients are sitting on the sidelines just suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. They don’t want to make an appointment, or bear the cost of a diagnosis, yet they’re losing sleep and suffering,” he explains. “For me, these screenings are a way to educate them without them having to make an appointment or commit to anything.”
And if attendance is any indicator, demand is out there. Dozens of people have shown up to each of his events, so Dr. Niedermeier has had to open other time slots for these educational events to accommodate them.
Training has Been Key
Dr. Niedermeier credits a lot of his ultrasound success to the training and support he has received from Sonex Health, including their MSK Ultrasound Mini-Fellowship Training Programs. “The biggest apprehension is the fear of doing something new and also the time investment in learning,” he explains. “Yes, it takes time to learn a new modality, but if it hones your skills, increases your confidence, and increases your ability to help more patients afterward, it’s well worth it.”
Congratulations to Dr. Niedermeier
His dedication to continuous learning, and to providing excellent outcomes for his patients is why Dr. Niedermeier recently was named a Center of Excellence (COE) physician by The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures and Sonex Health.
Says Dr. Niedermeier: “I’m an orthopedic surgeon because I chose a career that makes patients better. The validation for taking that leap of faith to do what’s right for my patients is probably what I love most about this COE designation.”
Learn more about The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures and our training programs to begin your MSK ultrasound training today.