Javad Parvizi is an American Board Certified, fellowship trained, orthopaedic surgeon and the Director of Clinical Research at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. He has been at Rothman since 2003. He holds the James Edwards Professor Chair of Orthopaedics at Thomas Jefferson University. He specialises in the management of young patients with hip disorders such as dysplasia, femoroacetabular impingement and other complex hip and knee conditions.
OPN: What drove you to choose surgery as a career – and orthopaedic surgery in particular?
JP: When I was a child, I witnessed my grandfather perform surgery on a man’s leg. It fascinated me and from that moment I knew I would pursue a career as a surgeon. After a brief stint working in cardiothoracic surgery in the UK, I joined the Mayo Clinic, and under the leadership of Dr. Bernie Morrey, I focused my career on orthopaedic surgery.
OPN: It is clear that the healthcare industry has been greatly impacted by the pandemic, what has been the greatest impact for you within the orthopaedic industry?
JP: The biggest impact for patients here in the US was the delay in treatment. Here our patients usually only wait days or weeks for elective procedures. During the pandemic, that timeline significantly increased. These Covid-related delays provided me with a perspective on other countries with socialised medicine where these delays are commonplace. Witnessing the suffering of patients here in the US waiting for total hip arthroplasty (THA) was hard to watch.
The other major impact of Covid was our migration toward digital health. We witnessed several post-operative follow-up services conducted via digital or telehealth channels. We were encouraged to learn that even our elderly patients were able to use the digital platforms to access telehealth services.
OPN: What’s the best part of your job?
JP: My greatest satisfaction is helping a patient improve their quality of life by eliminating or reducing pain. In particular, THA, and other orthopaedic procedures, can deliver immediate improvements in mobility, pain reduction, and quality of life. It is extremely rewarding helping individuals to walk without pain, and, in some cases, resume running and other athletic pursuits.
For the past 25 years I have been researching the reduction of post-operative orthopaedic infections. It has been extremely rewarding helping to reduce post-op infection in the orthopaedic patient populations.
OPN: … and the worst?
JP: For me, and most healthcare providers, the worst feeling is doing our best with the best technology and still falling short. The worst part is when we lose the battle. Primarily when a joint replacement procedure results in a post-op infection and we are forced to perform a salvage procedure, such as fusing a joint or amputation.
OPN: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
JP: Being selected to serve on a team of American, British and Canadian travelling Fellows in 2005. This prestigious Fellowship enabled me to travel around the world for five weeks with five other professionals.
Based on my research passion, I am proud of having the opportunity to serve as a servant leader or various organisations like the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS), the Eastern Orthopedic Association and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. I am also very proud to be named James Edwards Professor Chair of Orthopedics at Thomas Jefferson University.
Another rewarding aspect of my career has been the research into aspirin as the gold-standard treatment for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after orthopaedic procedures. I should mention Paul A. Lotke, MD and Eduardo A. Salvati, MD, whose path I followed in this work.
OPN: You have agreed to participate in an FDA IDE Pivotal Study with Hip Innovation Technology (HIT) and their Reverse Hip Replacement System, can you tell us more about it?
JP: Hip Innovation Technology, LLC recently received FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval to initiate a pivotal clinical study to further evaluate the company’s Reverse Hip Replacement System (Reverse HRS) for use in primary THA.
The clinical study objective is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Reverse HRS in patients undergoing THA. Safety will be assessed through the collection of device-related adverse events and patient quality of life metrics. Effectiveness will be evaluated using clinical, radiologic, and patient-reported outcomes.
One of the most common debilitating side effects of THA is dislocation. This trial will further evaluate the benefits of the Reverse HRS to reduce dislocation versus standard THA implants.
OPN: What potential advantages does the Reverse Hip Replacement System (Reverse HRS) offer to patients over typical hip implants on the market?
JP: The Reverse HRS, as the name implies, is a reverse geometry hip prosthesis designed to improve stability throughout functional ranges of motion, reduce prosthesis impingement and reduce the risk of dislocation. Dislocation continues to be one of the most common complications of conventional total hip systems and one of the most frequent indications for pa