A Little Clarity.
Before Your Next Step.

No. Sports medicine care also addresses injuries and joint problems that affect work, walking, exercise and everyday life. Dr. Vakharia treats both athletic injuries and other orthopaedic conditions.

No. Your visit starts with a diagnosis and a discussion of your goals. Options may include activity changes, physical therapy, medications or selected injections. Surgery is considered when it fits the injury and your needs.

Bring photo ID, your insurance card, a medication and allergy list, and relevant records. If you have prior X-rays or an MRI, bring the actual images or arrange electronic transfer, along with the report. Write down your main questions and previous treatments.

Parking is reimbursed at our Sandy Springs location. Please bring your parking ticket to the front desk for validation. At Windy Hill, free surface-lot parking is available to patients.

Usually you can start with an evaluation. Your symptoms and examination help determine whether X-rays, MRI or another test would change treatment. An MRI is not necessary for every painful joint.

Referral requirements and coverage vary by plan. Confirm benefits with your insurer and current participation with the office before your appointment. Find office contact details.

Seek urgent assessment for obvious deformity, inability to bear weight after injury, an open wound over a possible fracture, or a cold or numb limb. A hot, swollen joint with fever also needs urgent care. Call 911 for chest pain, severe trouble breathing or another medical emergency; do not wait for a routine appointment.

Yes, we accept walk-in appointments. You can also call the office or schedule online. Find office locations and contact details.

Not all broken bones need surgery. X-rays help assess alignment, the fracture pattern and healing over time. If the bone is appropriately aligned and stable, a cast, brace or sling may be enough. Healing potential also depends on the injury and your health. The decision is made case by case after an evaluation.

There is no single timeline. The injury, procedure, job demands and progress in strength and motion all matter. Return to sport also involves functional testing when appropriate. Ask for guidance specific to your work or sport.

Many conditions benefit from an individualized exercise or therapy plan, whether or not surgery is needed. After surgery, the plan must protect healing tissue while rebuilding function. Follow the instructions given for your particular procedure.

Discuss this before surgery. You need to control the vehicle safely and respond in an emergency. The operated limb, sling or brace, strength, and medications can all affect readiness. Do not drive while impaired by sedating pain medication.

Do not stop prescribed medicines on your own. Give the surgical and anesthesia teams a complete list, including supplements, blood thinners, diabetes medicines and weight-loss medicines. They will provide individualized instructions about medications and fasting.

Contact your care team promptly for increasing wound redness or drainage, fever, worsening pain that is not controlled, or new calf pain or swelling. New chest pain or trouble breathing requires emergency evaluation. Follow your discharge instructions for procedure-specific concerns.

No. Symptoms, weakness, tear size, tissue quality and your goals help guide treatment. Therapy and other nonsurgical measures can improve symptoms in selected patients. A new traumatic tear with weakness deserves timely evaluation. Read about rotator cuff care.

A patch may be considered for selected repairs, but it is not routinely needed for every tear. Materials have different roles, and better tendon healing does not always produce better symptom scores. Explore patch types and evidence.

Anatomic replacement recreates the usual ball-and-socket arrangement and generally relies on a working rotator cuff. Reverse replacement changes the mechanics so the deltoid can do more of the lifting. Cuff function and bone loss help guide the choice. Compare shoulder replacement options.

Not always. After the shoulder is put back into place, some patients recover with temporary support and rehabilitation. Repeat dislocations, bone loss, associated injuries and a high risk of recurrence—particularly in younger athletes—may favor surgery. Your age, activity goals, examination and imaging guide the recommendation. Read about shoulder instability.

No. Some tears can be managed without surgery. Persistent symptoms, locking and the tear’s pattern and location affect the recommendation. When surgery is appropriate, repair and trimming serve different purposes and have different recovery expectations. Learn about meniscus tears.

Some recent tears near the thighbone attachment with healthy remaining tissue may be repairable. Reconstruction remains the established option for many patients. Age and cutting or pivoting sports also matter. Compare ACL repair and reconstruction.

Partial replacement (UKA) may be an option when arthritis is confined to a suitable compartment and the ligaments and alignment support it. More widespread arthritis often favors a total replacement. Compare total knee replacement and UKA.

For most routine isolated ACL reconstructions, you can begin bearing weight the same day, typically with crutches and a knee brace as directed. ACL injuries may also involve the meniscus. Depending on the tear and repair performed, some patients need partial weight-bearing or a period of keeping weight off the leg to protect healing. Follow the instructions for your specific surgery.

Not necessarily. A suitable first-time dislocation may be managed with support and physical therapy. A displaced cartilage or bone fragment, repeated dislocations, ongoing instability or important alignment problems may make surgery appropriate. X-rays and often MRI help guide that decision. Explore patellar dislocation management.

Yes, some patients improve with activity changes and targeted therapy. Surgery may be considered when symptoms persist and the examination and imaging identify a treatable problem. Imaging findings alone do not determine the need for surgery. Learn about hip impingement.

Hip arthroscopy uses small incisions and a camera to address selected problems such as labral injury and impingement. Whether it is appropriate depends on the source of pain, cartilage condition and other features of the joint. Explore hip conditions.

Yes. Repeated gripping and wrist use during work, household tasks or other activities can strain the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Treatment commonly begins with activity changes and therapy. Read about tennis elbow.

Most patients improve with nonsurgical treatment. Surgery may be discussed for persistent, limiting symptoms after an adequate course of treatment and confirmation of the diagnosis. The decision should reflect your symptoms and daily demands.

Not every sprain needs an X-ray, but a fracture can look similar. Where the ankle is tender and whether you can bear weight help determine the need for imaging. Significant pain or difficulty walking should be assessed.

Repeated sprains can leave ligament instability, weakness or impaired balance. An examination helps identify the cause. Therapy and sometimes bracing are common starting points; selected persistent cases may need surgery. Read about ankle sprains and instability.