Michael A. Vazquez, MD
Michael
A. Vazquez, MD, has joined Mulroy
Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine on Fortune Blvd. in Milford,
following a year-long sports medicine fellowship at Lenox Hill Hospital in
Manhattan.
In addition to treating recreational athletes during his fellowship, Dr. Vazquez worked with team physicians for the Jets and Islanders, evaluating injuries, interpreting x-rays, and getting players back on their feet.
“As part of the medical staff, I was on the sidelines for the Jets games, home and away,” said Dr. Vazquez. “For the Islanders, I worked at the home games. If an injury came to me, it was something the trainer thought was more significant than a bruise.”
During this time, Dr. Vazquez became familiar with such household names
as former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, currently with the Miami Dolphins,
and Islanders Captain Bill Guerin. Dr. Vazquez now hopes to make a difference
for local athletes.
“I think athletes at all levels share determination and love of the
game. I
find it rewarding to help my patients improve their quality of life and get
back to their sport as soon as possible,” said Dr. Vazquez.
He continued, “I feel very lucky to have worked alongside some of the best orthopedists in the country - first at the Harvard hospitals in Boston and then at Lenox Hill in New York. Since I grew up in Worcester, I’m overjoyed to be able to come home again and serve the local population.”
Dr. Vazquez specializes in sports medicine, with a particular interest in advanced arthroscopic shoulder and knee procedures. Although he treats many high school and recreational athletes, not all of his patients play competitive sports.
“I see a wide range, from the pediatric patient with a fracture, to the older patient with arthritis who is trying to get some pain relief,” said Dr. Vazquez. “An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear in somebody who is 60-years-old, and not especially active, is different than a 17-year-old who injured it playing football. For the 60-year-old, if it doesn’t give out when they walk and they’ve given up sports, there’s no compelling reason to do surgery. However, there are plenty of 40-year-olds who are very active and need their ACLs. You really have to listen to each patient’s expectations and have excellent two-way communication with them.”
One of the doctor’s youngest patients, eighth grader Tom Aitken,
13, of Hopkinton, hyper-extended his knee while playing Pop Warner football
last fall. Tom recalls that he was running in for a touchdown when
he got flipped over backwards.
“My leg went one way and my body went another,” he said. “Dr.
Vazquez knew what was going on right away and that it was a hyperextension.
He told me what to do and not what to do, and to set limits like keeping my
weight off it, using crutches, not doing physical education, and not riding
a bike.”
Tom wore a cast for three weeks, and then had his knee in an immobilizer
for continued support and healing. He also underwent physical therapy
to rebuild his muscle tone and flexibility. “It feels a lot
better now than when it happened,” said Tom. “I’m looking
forward to dirt biking and snowmobiling this winter.”
His mother, Nancy, said that she was impressed with Dr. Vazquez’s
sincerity, knowledge and the time he spent with her family.
“He spoke not only at my level, but at Tom’s level,” Nancy explained. “He talked about how Tom got hurt, asked about his football and what position he played, and identified with him. At the exam, he pretty much pinpointed what was wrong, and we just had to clarify it with the MRI. He made a bad experience tolerable and set our minds at ease.”
Dr. Vazquez cites fractures, rotator cuff injuries, shoulder tears,
knee tears, muscle strains and sprains, overuse injuries, and cases of tendonitis
as common sports medicine problems. Many conditions, like Tom’s,
improve with anti-inflammatory medicine, immobilizing, and physical therapy. However,
when surgery is necessary, Dr. Vazquez said that Milford Regional sets a
high standard.
“As far as measuring up to the other hospitals I’ve been in, Milford Regional is right up there with its patient care and facilities,” he said with assurance. “The operating rooms are new, the facilities are excellent, and the staff has been great from the anesthesiologists to the nurses.”