To the editor:
As an occupational therapist working for Cary Medical Center, I see many members of the community following traumatic injury, elective surgeries or cumulative work-related diseases. Early last year the community of Caribou received a gift by the name of Mark Perlmutter, MD.
Dr. Perlmutter is a specialist in the area of upper extremities, providing much needed addition to the area. Residents of Aroostook County need not travel long distances for arm-related trauma, relief of chronic arthritic joints of the hand and wrist, as well as straightening out fingers that have been fixed in a flexed state due to Dupuytren’s disease.
I have been fortunate to work beside Dr. Perlmutter for the last 11 months and have heard nothing but positive reviews and smiles abound as residents of our community have found relief from chronic pain or debilitating diseases related to orthopedic and work related issues. I have also been present during some of his surgeries such as one involving attachment of thumb to an abdominal flap in order to preserve the length of thumb and therefore functional use of the thumb. I have seen wrist replacement surgeries to relieve radioulnar joint arthritic pain. Many of the procedures Dr. Perlmutter performs would have been completed in Bangor or farther south.
Furthermore, Dr. Perlmutter’s bedside manners are second to none. He is engaged with each patient, ensuring that they know what is exactly wrong with them, and what the plan is including options and what his personal opinion would be. When people leave the Pines Orthopedic office after their appointment with Dr. Perlmutter, they are informed and feel as if they were well taken care of.
Dr. Perlmutter will even provide each patient with his cell phone number along with follow-up appointment just in case they have questions about the plan or concerns regarding their symptoms. Doctors like him are hard to find and I feel very fortunate to have someone like Dr. Perlmutter in our community providing top notch service.
Ben Fields, OTR/L
Caribou
