Hospital for Special Surgery
Encyclopedia
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City
that specializes in orthopedic surgery
and the treatment of rheumatologic
conditions.
Founded in 1863 by Dr. James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States and is considered one of the top hospitals in the world for joint replacement
. The hospital also performs the most knee replacement
surgeries of any hospital in the United States. Thomas Sculco, M.D. serves as the Medical Director and Surgeon-in-Chief and Louis Shapiro serves as its President and Chief Executive Officer.
Additional areas of expertise at HSS include spine surgery and sports medicine
. HSS physicians with a subspecialty training in the field of spine surgery focus on patients who suffer from congenital or acute spinal disorders as well as from chronic back pain. The sports medicine
services at HSS treat athletic injuries of the musculoskeletal system with a special focus on shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries.
In addition, orthopedic surgeons at HSS perform limb lengthening, a procedure that uses the body’s capacity to create new bone as well as the soft tissues, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves that surround and support it.
HSS also offers professional medical education programs, including continuing medical education lecture series, conferences and symposia.
The hospital has 277 active medical staff.
and arthritis
. In addition to clinical trials, HSS has several research programs that center on the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases. Basic and applied research conducted at the hospital addresses specific problems such as arthritis
, injury, osteoporosis
, scoliosis
, autoimmune diseases such as lupus
, and related musculoskeletal diseases as they affect children and adults.
through the hospital's affiliation with Cornell University
's Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital is also affiliated with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
and Rockefeller University
.
The hospital has one of the most sought after and competitive orthopedics
residency programs in the world, with over 500 applicants competing for eight spots in 2009. Today, over 400 of its 500+ graduates hold positions in major orthopedic departments, many serving as department heads.
of Manhattan
, HSS is built over the Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) drive and partially located in the Belaire building
at 535 East 70th Street. Currently HSS has 172 beds and 29 operating rooms. HSS recently completed the construction of a new, ninth floor that adds 85000 square feet (7,896.8 m²) of new space and 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of re-engineered and re-designed space.
HSS has several specialized centers that focus on specific patients and joint problems, including:
between 42nd and 43rd Streets, but became the target for efforts to expand Grand Central Terminal
. In 1912, the hospital moved to a six-story building between First Avenue
and Second Avenue
that is now the home to the Ford Foundation
. The hospital moved to its present location in 1955.
John Robert Cobb, known for the Cobb angle
, also practiced at HSS for some time.
, as well as #2 for rheumatology
. HSS has been top-ranked by U.S. News and World Report for the 20th consecutive year. According to New York Magazine’s “Best Hospitals” issue, HSS is the best hospital in New York City's tri-state area for knee surgery, spine surgery and hip replacement.
On July 28, 2011, Becker's Hospital Review listed HSS under 60 Hospitals With Great Orthopedic Programs.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that specializes in orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
and the treatment of rheumatologic
Rheumatology
Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
conditions.
Founded in 1863 by Dr. James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States and is considered one of the top hospitals in the world for joint replacement
Joint replacement
Replacement arthroplasty [from Greek arthron, joint, limb, articulate, + -plassein, to form, mould, forge, feign, make an image of], or joint replacement surgery, is a procedure of orthopedic surgery in which the arthritic or dysfunctional joint surface is replaced with an orthopaedic prosthesis...
. The hospital also performs the most knee replacement
Knee replacement
Knee replacement, or knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. It may be performed for other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis...
surgeries of any hospital in the United States. Thomas Sculco, M.D. serves as the Medical Director and Surgeon-in-Chief and Louis Shapiro serves as its President and Chief Executive Officer.
Additional areas of expertise at HSS include spine surgery and sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
. HSS physicians with a subspecialty training in the field of spine surgery focus on patients who suffer from congenital or acute spinal disorders as well as from chronic back pain. The sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
services at HSS treat athletic injuries of the musculoskeletal system with a special focus on shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries.
In addition, orthopedic surgeons at HSS perform limb lengthening, a procedure that uses the body’s capacity to create new bone as well as the soft tissues, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves that surround and support it.
HSS also offers professional medical education programs, including continuing medical education lecture series, conferences and symposia.
The hospital has 277 active medical staff.
Research
Current clinical trials focus on issues related to lupusSystemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
and arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
. In addition to clinical trials, HSS has several research programs that center on the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases. Basic and applied research conducted at the hospital addresses specific problems such as arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
, injury, osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
, scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
, autoimmune diseases such as lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
, and related musculoskeletal diseases as they affect children and adults.
Affiliations
The Hospital for Special Surgery is affiliated with the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare SystemNewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System is a network of independent, cooperating, acute-care and community hospitals, continuum-of-care facilities, home-health agencies, ambulatory sites, and specialty institutes in the New York metropolitan area....
through the hospital's affiliation with Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
's Weill Cornell Medical College. The hospital is also affiliated with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital...
and Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
.
The hospital has one of the most sought after and competitive orthopedics
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
residency programs in the world, with over 500 applicants competing for eight spots in 2009. Today, over 400 of its 500+ graduates hold positions in major orthopedic departments, many serving as department heads.
Location and Facilities
Located on the Upper East SideUpper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, HSS is built over the Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) drive and partially located in the Belaire building
Belaire Apartments
Belaire Apartments is a mixed-use high-rise condominium apartment building in Manhattan, New York City. The 42-story building is located at 524 East 72nd Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive. It has 183 condominium apartments, a health club, parking garage and swimming pool...
at 535 East 70th Street. Currently HSS has 172 beds and 29 operating rooms. HSS recently completed the construction of a new, ninth floor that adds 85000 square feet (7,896.8 m²) of new space and 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of re-engineered and re-designed space.
HSS has several specialized centers that focus on specific patients and joint problems, including:
- Institute for CartilageCartilageCartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
Repair - Children and Adolescent Hand and Arm (CHArm) Center
- Foster Center for Clinical Outcome ResearchOutcomes researchHealth Outcomes Research , also called Outcomes Research, refers to research which investigates the outcomes of health care practices...
- Computer Assisted SurgeryComputer assisted surgeryComputer assisted surgery represents a surgical concept and set of methods, that use computer technology for presurgical planning, and for guiding or performing surgical interventions...
(CAS) Center - Center for Hip Pain and Preservation
- Gosden Robinson Inflammatory ArthritisRheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
Center - Integrative Care Center
- Institute for Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction
- Mary Kirkland Center for LupusLupusLupus most commonly refers to the disease systemic lupus erythematosus.Lupus may also refer to:-Medicine:* Lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease with several different forms...
Care - Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research
- Musculoskeletal Magnetic Resonance ImagingMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
Center - The Center for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and Nuclear Medicine
- OsteoporosisOsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
Prevention Center - The Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Skeletal DysplasiasOsteochondrodysplasiaOsteochondrodysplasia is a general term for a disorder of the development of bone and cartilage .-Achondroplasia:Achondroplasia is a type of autosomal dominant genetic disorder that is a common cause ofdwarfism...
- Spine Care Institute
- Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Disease
- Women's Sports Medicine Center
History
HSS was founded in 1863 as the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled in the home of Dr. James Knight on Second Avenue. A building was later constructed on Lexington AvenueLexington Avenue (Manhattan)
Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated by New Yorkers as "Lex," is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street to Gramercy Park at East 21st Street...
between 42nd and 43rd Streets, but became the target for efforts to expand Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
. In 1912, the hospital moved to a six-story building between First Avenue
First Avenue (Manhattan)
First Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from Houston Street northbound for over 125 blocks before terminating at the Willis Avenue Bridge into The Bronx at the Harlem River near East 127th Street. South of Houston Street, the...
and Second Avenue
Second Avenue (Manhattan)
Second Avenue is an avenue on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan extending from Houston Street at its south end to the Harlem River Drive at 128th Street at its north end. A one-way street, vehicular traffic runs only downtown. A bicycle lane in the left hand portion from 55th...
that is now the home to the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
. The hospital moved to its present location in 1955.
Surgeons-in-Chief
- 1863 - Dr. James A. Knight
- 1887 - Dr. Virgil P. Gibney
- 1925 - Dr. William Bradley Coley
- 1933 - Dr. Eugene H. Pool
- 1935 - Dr. Philip D. Wilson
- 1955 - Dr. T. Campbell Thompson
- 1963 - Dr. Robert Lee Patterson, Jr.
- 1972 - Dr. Philip D. Wilson, Jr.
- 1990 - Dr. Andrew J. Weiland
- 1993 - Dr. Russell F. Warren
- 2003 - Dr. Thomas P. Sculco
John Robert Cobb, known for the Cobb angle
Cobb angle
The Cobb angle, named after the American orthopedic surgeon John Robert Cobb , was originally used to measure coronal plane deformity on antero-posterior plain radiographs in the classification of scoliosis...
, also practiced at HSS for some time.
Physicians-in-Chief
- 1924 - Dr. R. Garfield Snyder
- 1944 - Dr. Richard Freyberg
- 1970 - Dr. Charles L. Christian
- 1995 - Dr. Stephen A. Paget
- 2010 - Dr. Mary K. Crow
Rankings
The 2011 edition of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News and World Report ranked Hospital for Special Surgery as the #1 hospital in the country for orthopedicsOrthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
, as well as #2 for rheumatology
Rheumatology
Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
. HSS has been top-ranked by U.S. News and World Report for the 20th consecutive year. According to New York Magazine’s “Best Hospitals” issue, HSS is the best hospital in New York City's tri-state area for knee surgery, spine surgery and hip replacement.
On July 28, 2011, Becker's Hospital Review listed HSS under 60 Hospitals With Great Orthopedic Programs.
External links
- Official site
- U.S. News & World Report – 2010 Rankings – Orthopedics: http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/orthopedics
- U.S. News & World Report – 2010 Rankings - http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/rheumatology
- New York Magazine – 2006 Best Hospitals - http://nymag.com/health/besthospitals/24095/index3.html