The future of orthopedic surgery

Dr. Vrej Kristapor Manoogian is offering the most advanced treatments available for hip, knee, and shoulder problems.

Dr. Manoogian is the inventor of the “Living Hip” total hip replacement. This is the most bone-conserving total hip available and has the ability to maintain bone integrity throughout the entirety of a patient’s life.

With regards to shoulders, Dr. Manoogian performs arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs through incisions only millimeters in length. He also performs a multitude of other completely arthroscopic shoulder treatments, open procedures, and, when necessary, total shoulder replacement arthroplasty.

When it comes to knees, Dr. Manoogian offers the TKO implant, a complete ligament-sparing total or partial knee replacement. He offers other surgical knee replacement procedures, as well. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, he carefully examines the ligament and functional status of the patient’s knees to see which option would best suit the individual patient.

Dr. Manoogian’s treatment philosophy has been and always will be to proceed with the most conservative treatments available to restore function to normal or as normal as possible.

What a difference a year makes. By defying the odds and meeting challenges head on, Traci Oliver has lost an amazing 90 pounds since embarking on a monumental lifestyle change in January 2013. While she needs to lose another 47 pounds to reach her target weight, she realizes numbers are not the true measure of success.

I enjoy the simple things, such as walking down a grocery store aisle and not having people stare at me or move out of the way so I can get by. In the past year I have done so many things that I never thought would be possible. I love being in situations where I no longer have to worry about being embarrassed or fear the possibility of something bad happening. This past year has been very liberating for me.”

After meeting Dr. Todd Ginestra at Mesos Plastic Surgery and Laser Center, I decide that May is a good time to have my surgery to remove excess skin from my chest and arms. Having the procedure in May will allow me time to recover before returning to school as a teacher. Some people question me about this because the procedures will leave behind scars. For me, those scars will be a reminder of where I’ve been and where I never want to be again.

I attend a Christmas party with fellow schoolteachers. The dish I bring is a veggie tray shaped like a Christmas tree. I also bring hummus vegetable dip.

My daughter, Bailey, holds a Christmas party for her friends at my house. I order 10 large pizzas. While standing in the kitchen by myself, I eat one slice of cheese pizzaandsuddenlywant more.Forme,pizzaisa realtriggerfood.Ibegin eatingasecondsliceand thenimmediatelythrow itaway,realizingthatI amonebiteawayfrom adifferentdestiny. Before long, my stomach starts hurting and I have no energy. My feet begin swelling. After the party I realize there are tons of leftover food. I stuff the food in garbage bags knowing that I would never eat anything from the trash.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my incredible journey. I send out a text message to a friend I met while trying out for “The Biggest Loser.” She is struggling with her weight. I enjoy using my experience to help and encourage others.

Here is what I write: “2013 showed me that I CAN… 2014 will show me that I DID. This past year has been emotionally healing through the almost 100 pound weight loss. It has been slow at times and sometimes it just plain stopped. But in those moments, I realize the second chance in life I have been given and realize it’s NOT about a number always, but the quality of life I am now able to live while enjoying the latter part of my kids’ lives before they leave our nest. I have learned to enjoy ALL times; not just the good, but truly learning and loving with the bad times. Once you set the habits, your family comes along for the ride… accountability at its best. You’re going to do great!”

It is New Year’s Day and I’m at the gym. My trainer makes a video of me flipping tires. She then has me jumping up on those same tires to improve my core strength.

My family and I are in New York City. Today, the girls want to ice skate and they have a look of surprise when I join them. When I was obese, I would always skip out on activities like this and instead take pictures. I did fall today and automatically assumed people would say, ‘Look at that big woman.’ However, that negative thought quickly fades upon realizing my health has changed so drastically that I easily withstand the fall and get right back up. It is also a great feeling to never worry about becoming winded.

My family and I are sitting in first class on the flight from New York City to Orlando. While the other passengers in first class are enjoying a chicken pasta dinner, I order a vegetable and fruit tray