This site is devoted to hip and knee replacement surgery performed by Dr. Sonny Bal at the University of Missouri. It is a work in progress. We are always updating and adding new content.

Experience suggests that patients who understand a surgical procedure and take the time to educate themselves typically have the best outcomes. Accordingly, our goal is to provide the information necessary for patients to make the right choices when it comes to hip and knee replacement surgery.

We perform a high volume of hip and knee operations; we are also involved in orthopaedic research and the training of future orthopaedic surgeons.

In addition to straight-forward hip and knee replacements, many difficult operations are referred to us by other surgeons. Our interest is in developing the future techniques and technologies in hip and knee surgery. As new hip and knee replacement techniques are developed and proven, rest assured we will offer them.

This site is neither a marketing effort, nor is it sponsored by anyone. Our purpose is to share information acquired from our education, training, and experience. We want our patients to be active partners in treating their hip and knee problems. For example, if you are considering surgery, please review the exhaustive section on “Possible Complications” that lists the adverse outcomes of joint replacement surgery. To make an informed choice, you should know this information, since surgery is never a casual undertaking.

Minimally invasive surgery is of great interest to many patients. Reducing surgical trauma has obvious benefits in hip and knee replacement surgery. We offer all minimally invasive procedures that are current in the U.S., and continue to develop these techniques.

Our staff consist of a team of bright and talented people with an unbeatable track record of experience in joint replacement surgery.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any comments or questions. Our patients have helped tremendously in developing this site. If you have suggestions for further improvement, we would like to hear from you.

 

ABOUT IMPLANT RECALLS:

Many patients are anxious about recent media coverage of 'recalled' hip and knee implants. These recalls apply to implants used by some surgeons, which have shown a higher risk of premature failure. In the majority of cases, such implants work just as well as others.

'Recall' does not mean the implants have to be removed from well-functioning situations; it only means that any unused inventory has been removed for further use by the manufacture.

If your hip or knee is functioning well, there is no reason for concern. If you want to identify your specific implants, please contact our office. Rest assured that the implants we use routinely for hip and knee replacements have not been recalled.