Five Questions with Raymond Kim, M.D. - Specialist in Adult Joint Reconstruction, Knee and Hip Arthroplasty
“The Summit was again filled with a lot of discussions of high-level basic science by some of the top scientists, researchers and clinicians from all over the world. A lot of this, quite frankly, is way over my head as an orthopaedic surgeon. I’m a carpenter. I restore hips and knees and remove old parts and put in new parts. So, while all this is a lot of basic science or high-level science, I was geared more towards the sessions and talks that revolved around restoring joints.”
But, as a doctor, the other parts of the Vail Scientific Summit did interest you, right?
“Absolutely. For me it’s all very enlightening, very educational. We’re all about restoring joint health in patients and there is definitely an angle in which regenerative medicine has a role. I think it’s still in its infancy, but there is some really cool research going on in terms of delaying joint disease and also in restoring cartilage health. Is it where it needs to be in 2019? I think there is still an opportunity to grow and to gain. I am hopeful based on what I am hearing from these brilliant scientists that at some time we will get to that point, particularly with regenerating cartilage and delaying cartilage damage.”
What new advancements and research excite you about the future of joint restoration?
“There is constantly new research that’s being done and shared so that every year we’re hearing new advancements in how things are being done. I know Dr. Huard and his staff at SPRI (Steadman Philippon Research Institute) are eager to get back to the labs and start working on some of the new ideas and research that have been shared with them at this meeting. It’s exciting for me to see some new data and new research being done and shared with everyone at these scientific meetings.”
What are the benefits for you as a surgeon at The Steadman Clinic to have the work being done right next door by the world-class researchers at SPRI?
“As a surgeon we’re executing things at the bedside. There is always the other half of the equation—the studying and the researching that’s critical to what we’re able to do in the office or in the operating room. So the partnership between SPRI and The Steadman Clinic is very powerful. The resources of being able to investigate something, looking at the outcomes and doing prospective studies, makes all of us better physicians and better surgeons.”
What do you see in the very near future in your specialty of joint reconstruction and knee and hip arthroplasty?
“From a joint replacement standpoint, we are always coming up with better implants, better instruments and better ways to recover. A big part of our program right now is outpatient joint replacements. Back in the old days, patients would stay in a hospital for four or five days. Now they are in the facility or hospital for four or five hours, so clearly recovery has come a long way. I do think that down the road there could be biologic replacements, biologic implants that can restore diseased joints and lessen the need for replacements. We’re not quite there yet, but I think we will get there someday.”
For further information or other inquiries about The Steadman Clinic or Steadman Philippon Research Institute, contact Lynda Sampson, Vice President of External Affairs (lsampson@sprivail.org).