Orthopedic Surgeons Dr’s. Hormoz & Christopher Zahiri

 

It’s a ‘Family Affair’ for this father & son duo as they have built a mini-medical empire dedicating their work to conquering the aging process through cutting-edge treatments, state-of-the-art orthopedic procedures and educating their patients on how to avoid age-related degenerative diseases.

 

When it comes to mixing the serious business of orthopedic practice with family and pleasure, you can’t get a better or tighter fit than the Zahiri family.  Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Hormoz Zahiri, is a pioneer in the field of Orthopedic Surgery.  He is a renowned physician, surgeon, author of numerous original publications, international speaker and Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Southern California.  For more than 30 years, he has remained at the forefront of innovative orthopedic technology with over ten patents.  His cutting-edge surgical procedures are used by orthopedic surgeons around the world.  Founder of the International Orthopedic Center for Joint Disorders in Beverly Hills, California, Dr. Zahiri is also a Sports Medicine specialist who for years has been focusing on the treatment of complex orthopedic conditions of the neck, back, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.  Dr. Zahiri’s integrative treatments help fight aging from the inside-out with nutritional, pharmacologic, physical and mind-body management. People throughout the world visit Dr. Zahiri for their unresolved orthopedic conditions.  Thanks to his dedication to providing the most advanced orthopedic care to his patients, his expertise is helping people achieve total body wellness.  Now, imagine his pride when his son, Christopher, decided to follow in his footsteps. 

Dr. Christopher Zahiri is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and an Active Fellow of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is sub-specialty trained in hand/upper extremity surgery from Loma Linda University Medical Center and did joint replacement research at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  As a Board Certified Orthopedic surgeon, Christopher has a significant presence in his own right in the field of Orthopedics. In little more than 14 years as a physician, he has published more than 20 research and clinical papers in peer reviewed journals, and presented research at 15 national and international professional meetings. He specializes in upper extremity injuries and focuses his practice on diagnosis, conservative and surgical treatments of hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder conditions including traumatic injuries, peripheral nerve entrapments (i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome), occupational and sporting injuries (i.e. Tennis & Golfer’s elbows, Rotator cuff injuries), as well as arthritic conditions that may require joint replacements. 

Together, he and his father have brought together, the latest science and their vast experience, for the most advanced and comprehensive Orthopedic total care possible under one roof at their International Orthopedic Center for Joint Disorders in Beverly Hills.  They have one goal: show patients, during their course of treatment, how to achieve and maintain optimum fitness, agility and wellness at any age.

 

A Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Hormoz Zahiri is also a Qualified Medical Examiner for the State of California. He’s made his mark in both his homeland of Tehran, Iran, where he was born and here in the United States, where he has been a citizen since 1982. An international lecturer and educator, he travels the world speaking at seminars and teaching facilities. His vast knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and the human body allows him to take procedures to a whole body approach; he doesn’t just find ways to mask the pain; he fixes the problem. Throughout life, our musculoskeletal system is by far one of the most important organ systems; it enables us to move— or not! As we search for longevity we must address the topic of quality of life. Who wants to live to be 80, 90 or 100 if it involves a life plagued with pain, joint deformity and immobility? 

ST:  You say we don’t have to age in pain; how does that work? Millions want to know.

Dr. HORMOZ: By simply following the science of preventive medicine and of musculoskeletal knowledge and experience of the orthopedic surgeons. People go to variety of doctors when they have pain in their neck, back, and extremities.  Such approach does not usually resolve the problem, if the problem is more than just a minor condition.  The greatest source of pain as we grow older is our musculoskeletal system.  It is through the science of orthopedic surgery and preventive medicine that the exact conditions can be pinpointed and managed with the most advanced pharmacologic supplements, non-surgical treatments and possible surgical interventions.  No pain in our body is acceptable at any age.  To reach a pain-free musculoskeletal system, the first step is to see an orthopedic surgeon. 

At International Orthopedic Center for Joint Disorders, Dr. Hormoz Zahiri is the Medical Director and Dr. Christopher Zahiri serves as the center’s Director of Upper Extremity Surgery.  Both are on staff at multiple outpatient surgery centers and Hospitals on the Westside of Los Angeles. Their intense work ethics and patient demands keep them quite busy, as I witnessed first hand while writing this article. 

ST: What is it like working with your son?

Dr. HORMOZ: I took Christopher to my office when he was six years of age and had him witness a surgery around the same time, since he was so curious.  I believe that was when he first became interested in the field of orthopedics.  He was always interested to hear about issues related to orthopedic surgery.  As he grew, he pursued his interests on his own and my wife and I just supported his decisions.  Now, after so many years of education and training, we have a son who is highly accomplished, is entirely committed to his family and profession, and is a very competent orthopedic/hand surgeon.  My son is not the only member of my family who practices in the office.  My wife, Rana, is the Assistant Office Manager and Quality Controller.  My daughter, Marzi, (who has double majors in economics and finance) is the Office Administrator and runs our entire operation.  This family atmosphere has resulted in an office that is dedicated to even addressing minor details and therefore optimal quality and patient care. 

Christopher is very busy these days and it’s not all about medicine. He and his wife Nelly recently added another baby (two month old daughter, Chloe) to their growing family. They already have twins, Cyrus and Camellia who on the day of our photo shoot couldn’t have been more “movie star” like as they smiled and posed like pros. They’re probably used to a camera; the Zahiri home is like Disneyland with toys everywhere and photos of the children on every table and shelf in sight—the result of very proud parents and grandparents. Nelly is a Child Psychologist, who in addition to a private practice in Westwood, is a faculty member at SMC and hosts an educational and psychological TV talk show in Los Angeles. 

ST:  Are you seeing more injuries with the advancement of technology?

Dr. CHRISTOPHER:  Absolutely.  The use of computers and mobile devices nowadays have created very common injuries.  Most common work-related injuries that I see are secondary to postural injuries, i.e. neck strains, headaches, upper extremity tendinopathies, and nerve entrapments from sitting across a computer in a non-ergonomic setting.  It is essential that one has an ergonomically correct workstation to avoid these types of injuries.  In addition, it is of utmost importance that people keep up physically with the current demands of advancement in technology and activities of daily living.  Basically, one has to physically condition him/herself to be able to sit behind the computer for 8 hours per day.   You get injured when you are not strong enough for what you are doing.  Therefore, strength and endurance training is very important to avoid these type of injuries. 

Carpal tunnel syndrome is another very common injury secondary to repetitive motion of the hands and wrists and if recognized soon can be treated easily with a wrist brace worn at night times.  I am seeing a significant prevalence in trigger finger injuries, mostly secondary to use of Blackberry’s and IPODs, where we are now calling these injuries Blackberry thumbs and IPOD fingers.  These are secondary to repetitive use of the thumb/fingers, which result in inflammation of the flexor tendon(s) sheaths and the tendon gets caught in a tunnel as it glides, creating a locking or snapping of the finger.  These if recognized early can be treated with exercises and anti-inflammatory medications. 

ST: Are arthroscopic procedures getting any easier for patients?

Dr. HORMOZ: As one of the pioneers in arthroscopic surgery, I have witnessed a dramatic change in the way joint problems have been treated through the evolving techniques in arthroscopic surgery.  Arthroscopic surgery has proven to be one of the most important minimally invasive surgeries available today.  For those who have ignored their ongoing joint pain, arthroscopic surgery can serve as a renovating joint procedure. Nutritional and pharmacalogical treatments as well as biomechanical and physical rehabilitation can then be used until the patient’s problem is either resolved or stabilized favorably.  Arthroscopic surgery is mostly performed as an outpatient procedure with less post-operative pain and a faster recovery. 

The Zahiri’s multi-disciplined preventive approach consists of a program to fit an individual’s needs. Patient follow-up they say makes a difference between partial or complete recovery. Christopher has expanded his research as an innovator with three patents on orthopedic devices and two others as patent pending.  He and his father are currently working on an orthopedic implant that is set to revolutionize the treatment of a specific problematic fracture and will be available to the market in the near future. 

ST:  There are many degenerative/age related diseases as we grow older. Take for instance osteoarthritis. How do we know if we have it and how can we best manage it?

Dr. CHRISTOPHER:  Osteoarthritis is basically the wear and tear of the joints.  As the articular cartilage wears out, it eventually results in joint deformity and bone on bone contact at the joint level.  Most commonly, it is caused by normal aging, obesity, previous intra-articular fractures, and excessive use.  Most common symptoms are pain and stiffness of the joint(s).  The best preventative management is weight loss and a routine exercise program.  Exercise will keep the joints supple and strengthens the surrounding tendons and ligaments around the joints preventing joint deformities, thus slowing down the degenerative process of the joints. 

ST:  Why do so many people sustain injuries with exercising, when they are trying to do the right thing?

Dr. CHRISTOPHER:  Most of the people that get injured while exercising are generally the “weekend warriors”, which means that they have not trained their muscles in a gradual sustainable method and all of a sudden they perform a high demand task that their muscles are not accustomed to, resulting in different types of tendon/ ligament injuries.  Take for example, tennis and golf that are sports that require great amount of skill.  It is usually one bad swing that results in the injury.  Therefore, to avoid such injuries, one has to perform cross training with strength and endurance training to excel in these sports and avoid injuries.  It is essential that people should have a routine daily exercise program to best avoid musculoskeletal injuries.  I tell my patients that they should start thinking about exercise like the way they think about brushing their teeth, EVERY DAY.

By Suzanne Takowsky
Photo: David Sobel