Treat People, Not X-Rays
An X-ray can show bone-on-bone arthritis, but it cannot tell you how much that arthritis affects someone’s life. Some patients with severe arthritis on imaging function remarkably well. Others with moderate findings are in significant pain. Treatment decisions are based on how the condition affects you, not just what the picture shows.
This means Dr. Zalikha spends time understanding your symptoms, your limitations, your goals, and your concerns before making any recommendations.
Conservative Treatment Gets a Genuine Trial
Surgery is a tool. A powerful one, but a tool. It is not the answer to every problem, and it should not be the first answer when other options exist.
For most patients with hip or knee arthritis, Dr. Zalikha starts with nonsurgical management: physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, injections, activity modification, and weight optimization. These treatments can provide meaningful relief and delay the need for surgery by months or years.
When conservative treatment is recommended, it is done seriously. Not as a box to check before scheduling surgery, but as a genuine effort to manage the problem without an operation.
When Surgery Is Right, Precision Matters
When nonsurgical options have been exhausted and the patient is ready, Dr. Zalikha approaches surgery with meticulous attention to detail.
He chose the direct anterior approach for hip replacement because it spares muscles and allows faster recovery. He uses robotic-assisted technology for hip and knee replacements because it improves implant positioning accuracy. He closes every wound with a layered technique because how the incision heals matters to patients.
These are not marketing bullet points. They are decisions about technique and technology made because the evidence supports them and Dr. Zalikha believes they produce better outcomes for patients.
Decisions Are Made Together
Dr. Zalikha does not believe in telling patients what to do. He believes in presenting the options honestly, explaining the evidence behind each one, and making the decision together.
This means being transparent about what surgery can and cannot accomplish. It means discussing risks without minimizing them. It means acknowledging when conservative treatment is the better choice, even if the patient came in expecting to schedule surgery.
And it means listening. Many patients arrive at their first appointment feeling unheard, frustrated by prior experiences where they were rushed through an evaluation or given a generic recommendation. Dr. Zalikha takes the time to understand each patient’s specific situation.
No Conflicts of Interest
Dr. Zalikha does not receive payment from implant companies to use their products. The implants and techniques he recommends are chosen because he believes they are the best options for the patient, not because of a financial arrangement.
He uses the implants he would choose for himself or for his family. That is the standard.
Plan for the Long Term
A joint replacement is not a short-term fix. Registry data show that most hip and knee replacements are still functioning 15 to 20 years after surgery, and many last 25 years (Evans et al., The Lancet, 2019). Every decision made during surgery affects the implant’s long-term performance.
Dr. Zalikha plans each case with the decades ahead in mind. Implant selection, component positioning, and bone preservation are all considered in the context of the patient’s age, activity level, and the possibility that a revision may someday be needed.
Short-term convenience never takes priority over long-term outcome.
Stay Current, Stay Honest
Orthopedic surgery evolves. New techniques, technologies, and evidence emerge regularly. Dr. Zalikha stays engaged with the academic side of his field through ongoing research, over 30 peer-reviewed publications, and participation in national meetings.
But being current does not mean being trendy. He adopts new approaches when the evidence supports them, not because they are new. He is transparent about what current data shows and what remains uncertain. If a technology or technique does not have a strong evidence base, he says so.
Learn more about Dr. Zalikha’s background or Schedule an appointment to discuss your hip or knee concern. Call (562) 362-5024