St. Luke's Orthopedic and Sports Medicine

OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCE

89 West Mills Street, Suite A • Columbus, NC 28722
Office: 828-894-3718 • Fax: 828-894-3806

George Azar, MD

Thomas Cadier, MD

Cam Martin, PA-C

THE REGIONAL LEADER IN ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS MEDICINE

We have but one mission: to restore your quality of life through best practices in orthopedic medicine.

St. Luke's Orthopedic and Sports Medicine has long been the regional leader in providing world-class orthopedic surgery. Over the years, we've established an excellent reputation for performing successful hip and custom-fit knee replacements with superb patient outcomes—our approach results in much shorter hospital stays and greatly improved recovery times.

Patients travel great distances to have their orthopedic surgeries at St. Luke's. Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier have performed thousands of knee, hip, shoulder, and sports medicine procedures. By adhering to our pre-operative planning, surgery protocol, and post-operative rehabilitation, patients experience reduced infection rates, managed post-op pain, and superior recovery. And as a result, there is a reduced risk of dislocation, blood loss, tissue damage, and muscle trauma.

St. Luke's five-star surgeons, Dr. George Azar and Dr. Thomas Cadier, take pride in the excellent patient experiences. In addition, our team includes two physician assistants and nurse navigators working with dedicated perioperative nursing and physical and occupational therapists that ensure consistency throughout your treatment.

Dr. Azar is a gentleman farmer raising Scottish Highland, Longhorn, and Belted Galloway cattle. He is also a beekeeper and practices organic gardening.

Dr. Cadier is an equestrian who currently participates in “riding to hounds” but has competed in eventing, dressage, and show jumping. As a USEF Licensed Official, Dr. Cadier judges competitions at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGERY

TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT (arthroplasty): Disease can wear out the hip joint. And to correct the damaged joint, a hip replacement procedure is performed to remove the damaged hip joint and replace it with an implant made of metal, plastic, ceramic, or a combination of materials. The two techniques offered at St. Luke's are ANTERIOR hip replacement and POSTERIOR hip replacement. You and your doctor will talk about which option is best for you.

Hip replacement surgery is associated with a high success rate. It's a safe, durable, and effective treatment for arthritis and other hip joint issues. After hip replacement surgery, the pain is significantly reduced, or removed, allowing for increased mobility. Patients will easily be able to resume most activities after rehabilitation. *

TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT exchanges injured or worn-out knee joints with components made of metal and plastic. This surgery helps to relieve pain, improve range of motion, and restore quality of life. St. Luke's was also one of the first hospitals in the southeast (and the first in NC) to provide customized total knee replacement (where the new joint aligns to the patient's anatomy and fits like a glove). We recommend this surgery for those sixty-five and under, active-minded, male, or female, who meet the criteria. **

SHOULDER REPLACEMENT removes the damaged bones and replaces them with implants made of metal and plastic. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. The round ball of the humerus fits into a shallow socket of the scapula. A damaged shoulder joint often causes pain, weakness, and stiffness.

After a shoulder replacement, most people have significantly reduced pain, while many have no pain. In addition, most people experience a restored considerable range of motion and strength.

SPORTS MEDICINE

St. Luke's is fortunate to have two orthopedic surgeons with impeccable credentials. With both doctors performing state-of-the-art procedures for rotator cuff injuries, Achilles repair, shoulder disease, and shoulder pain, you do not need to leave the county.

ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE REPAIRS include torn meniscus, inflamed synovial tissue, loose bone and cartilage fragments, and patella issues, ACL repairs.

ARTHROSCOPIC SHOULDER REPAIRS include Slap injuries, dislocations, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, AC joint repairs, bicep tendons.

Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier strictly adhere to evidence-based medicine, achieving very high success rates for procedures such as ACL reconstruction, shoulder sports injuries, rotator cuff repairs, and bone fracture repair for patients of all ages.

SUPERIOR FOOT & ANKLE CARE

Through an affiliation between St. Luke’s Hospital and Carolina Orthopaedic & Neurosurgical Associates (CONA), St. Luke's is providing expanded orthopedic services to include foot and ankle surgical care, with Anthony Barcel, MD.

To schedule an appointment Dr. Barcel call (864) 583-CONA.

OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Because of our commitment, compassion, professionalism, and desire to help patients, our orthopedic team's high patient satisfaction rating is unmatched by any other in the region. And our patients appreciate the personal attention received at "St. Luke's Joint Camp" before their hospitalization and follow-up office visit.

We've constructed a wing dedicated to orthopedic patients to make your stay more comfortable for you and your family. The St. Luke's Orthopedic wing feels more like a resort than a hospital. The hall features abundant rich warmth from wood accents and cabinetry. The spacious private rooms have a right-sized lavatory with safety features incorporated into the design. The digitally equipped and conveniently located nurse's station provides quick access to all rooms and connectivity to connect to each patient. Our state-of-the-art 8,800-square-foot rehabilitation center is adjacent to the ortho hall. This center employs some of the country's best physical, hand, occupational, and speech therapists.

Click Here to Visit the Ortho Wing Gallery

Not all patients are candidates for hip replacements.
* Not all patients are candidates for custom knee replacements.