Blog

The Importance of Protein for Recovery

Aubrey Lee – Thursday, August 4, 2021   Knowing how, what, and when to properly fuel your body can be confusing and convoluted when navigating the internet. With countless fad diets, body types, and workouts cycling in and out of popularity, it is hard to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy body. One thing […]

Playing Tennis Six Weeks Post Surgery

Long time tennis player, Michael Rogers, Ph.D., has a true passion for the sport. In 2018, Michael Rogers went from playing tennis 3-4 times a week and attending tournaments, to hanging up his tennis racket. His right knee was suddenly causing him unbearable pain, which, in-turn, effected his game. After receiving multiple assessments from various […]

Surgery: 15 Years Later

As a new patient about to undergo knee replacement surgery, you may be wondering, “How long will the implant last?” The answer to this question may vary from surgeon to surgeon, based on the prosthesis used during the procedure, and your physical activity level after surgery. For knees, Dr. Berger uses the Zimmer NexGen High-Flex […]

Tennis Pro Felicia Hutnick Bounces Back After Knee Replacement Surgery

62-year-old Felicia Hutnick continues her professional tennis career after a left knee replacement with Dr. Berger. From 1975-1979, in Winter Park, FL, Rollins College ranked #4 in Division 1 Women’s Tennis and Felicia Hutnick lead the team every step of the way. By graduation, the three-time All-American Division 1 player was just beginning to embark […]

The Sky is the Limit

After 29 years, Dr. Berger’s patient, Ray Medley soared through his hip replacement recovery and accomplished his ultimate goal of skydiving.   63-year-old Medley experienced significant hip pain before his left hip replacement in March of 2013. Approximately one year prior, after running the Baton Death March Military Marathon, he knew something had to be […]

Dr. Richard Berger Discusses Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery on Fox News Chicago

Hip replacement in younger women Dr. Richard Berger and patient Kia Hinz, discuss her hip replacement surgery, and why younger women are choosing the procedure more and more, with Sylvia Perez on Fox 32 Chicago.

Sanja gives her hip replacement recovery the top grade

When Sanja Seferovic Drnovsek had her right hip replaced by Dr. Berger in June of 2016, she felt completely comfortable leaving the hospital, with simply a cane, that very same day of her surgery. The 61-year-old teacher, grandmother and community activist is happy to say she had an amazing recovery that was fast and complication […]

These heels are made for walking

As Betty McEnroe prepared for one of her last physical therapy sessions, following her second knee replacement with Dr. Berger, she set her gym shoes to the side and threw on a pair of heels. After much hard work throughout her early stages of recovery, she gained the confidence to use her knees without limitations. […]

Making the Most of Every Season with a New Hip

Randy Mehrberg was equipped to climb 94 flights of stairs a mere three months following Dr. Richard Berger’s minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. He ascended up the John Hancock Building, in downtown Chicago, for the Hustle up the Hancock charity stair climb on February 25, 2018, to help raise funds for the Respiratory Health Association. […]

CrossFit: The Importance of Range of Motion

For Dr. Berger’s patient, Matt Bell, achieving a full range of motion after knee replacement surgery was not simply a desire, but a necessity. The 62-year-old continuously tests his strength and ability by living an active CrossFit lifestyle. Though CrossFit exercises vary, many routines involve bending the knees. Workouts can comprise of squatting and jumping, […]

Kneeling After A Total Knee Arthoplasty

This is a specific exercise program aimed at regaining the ability to kneel following a total knee replacement. Part of the program will involve desensitization, or in other words, reducing the uncomfortable feeling you may have when kneeling. Pain or discomfort may be present while kneeling, but we anticipate this to be minimal and temporary. […]

Winning the Gold

In the late summer of 2017, 63-year-old Dana Potts crossed the finish line of the 400-meter Illinois Senior Games State Race, seven months following a muscle preserving hip replacement surgery with Dr. Richard A. Berger. The Wealth Management Advisor based out of Hinsdale, Illinois has always lived an active lifestyle. Beginning in high school, Potts […]

Providing Service One Knee at a Time

Malawi is often referred to as the ‘warm heart’ of Africa, which also describes 63-year-old Christine Vollmer, as she is the ‘warm heart’ of Chicago and patient of Dr. Richard Berger. The Hyde Park resident is preparing to spend the next two years serving with the Peace Corps in one of the poorest nations in […]

Game Ready- Cold Therapy Unit

Does the thought of icing your joint after surgery sound uncomfortable, or better yet, inconvenient? Controlling swelling with icing after surgery is essential, but now Dr. Berger is working with Game Ready to offer patients an easier option for icing after a joint replacement. The Game Ready Cold Therapy Unit is a machine that makes […]

World Renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Sets New Record

CHICAGO — Dr. Richard A. Berger, 55, is the only surgeon in the world to perform over 10,000 minimally invasive outpatient joint replacement surgeries. From a young age, Berger was interested in helping others enjoy a life of mobility, free of limitations. Growing up, his father constructed the Macy’s holiday window displays in New York […]

Where Does Dr. Berger Operate?

If you call our office for an appointment, you’ll come to find out that Dr. Berger only sees patients for appointments at the Midwest Othopaedics at Rush, Chicago location. What you may not know is that there are multiple location options for your surgery. Dr. Berger not only performs surgery at the well-renowned Rush University […]

Post- Surgery Marathons

For 76-year-old Anthony Mauro, running 35 miles a week is simply a part if his regular routine. Mauro had bilateral knee replacement surgery with Dr. Berger in the fall of 2017. A mere five months following his second surgery, he was long-distance running with ease. Maintaining his ability to run after surgery was essential; not […]

Veteran’s Day Hike

This past Veteran’s Day weekend, Christopher Nystuen enjoyed his morning coffee atop Mt. Watzmann, the third highest mountain in Germany. Amid the climb through the Bavarian Alps, his new hip worked perfectly. Three months prior, Nystuen had total hip replacement surgery performed by Dr. Richard Berger. As a Veteran, he originally injured his hip while […]

4 Tried and True ways to Decrease Bruising and Swelling. 

We love this classic method to manage pain from Osteoarthritis or after joint replacement surgery. R.I.C.E it!  R = Rest We want you to be up and moving but do this in moderation. We recommend you rest the first 5-7 days after surgery. DO NOT OVERDO IT. Increased activity means increased swelling. By decreasing the swelling […]

Dr. Berger featured in Forbes Custom

INNOVATIONS IN HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY Dust Off Your Running Shoes, Yoga Mat—Even Your Hockey Stick Last year, hip pain forced Rhoda Pitcher to plan each day around her limitations. She couldn’t walk without limping, couldn’t run to catch an important flight and avoided her favorite yoga poses. Hip replacement surgery with Dr. Richard A. Berger changed [...]

The Laws of Water

By Courtney Lyngen. Over the last five years fitness has become a huge part of my adult life. I would go workout for an hour four to five times a week with aggressive CrossFit programs to then come home and get back to my regular nightly routine. However, after many dedicated gym sessions over three [...]

Nutrition Following Joint Replacement

“Is there anything special I should eat after my joint replacement?” “Donuts, cookies, chips, and cake!” I’m sure this is what many patients would like our response to be (at least that is what I would like to hear!). Unfortunately, junk food is not the recommended postoperative diet, as many may suspect. While Dr. Berger […]

How Do I Know I Need a Knee or Hip Replacement?

Is it time for a knee or hip replacement? Dr. Berger’s New Patient Liaison gets around 100 calls per day. These potential patients, calling with complaints of horrific knee or hip pain, range vastly in age and personal history. While many patients have been explicitly told by an orthopedic doctor that they need a knee […]