Geoffrey Westrich, MD

During the coronavirus pandemic, many doctors’ offices are closed for non-emergency care and more patients are embracing telemedicine. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen an increase in virtual consultations among both established and new patients. One of my knee replacement patients had an in-office follow-up appointment on the last day it was open in early March, but given the choice, he opted for a telehealth consultation. He told me his online follow-up appointment after knee replacement was easy to set up, and it worked well. While consulting in front of his computer screen, he was even able to show me his knee.      I’ve also had telemedicine consultations with several new patients seeking an orthopedic surgeon for a hip or knee replacement. Although they can’t have the surgery right away, they’ve already been told that the best option for pain relief is a joint replacement, and they’re planning ahead.  Although elective surgeries, including hip and knee replacement, a