Sunday, October 27, 2013

Answering Your Questions About Knee Replacement Surgery


It seems like you've tried everything to get rid of that nagging pain in your knee. You've gone to specialists, used ice packs, hot packs, and both topical and injected pain relievers. Now your doctor is suggesting total joint replacement as a way to relieve your symptoms.

When you need to make a big decision regarding your joint health, look no further than the team of experts available at one of Mercy Health Partners' hospitals. This network of care offers anyone in need of a new knee, hip, or shoulder proven options for a swift recovery.

"Orthopedics is an ever-growing and ever-changing field," says Carol Owens, RN, BBA, director of medical and surgical services at Mercy Hospital Anderson. "When you want to find the best surgical solution\ for your personal needs, having allies like those available through our orthopedic program can help you select the best procedure."

A Look at Your Options

Common procedures performed at Mercy facilities include:

• total hip replacement
• total knee replacement
• total shoulder replacement
• spine surgery

"While our most common procedure, far and away, is a total knee replacement, we offer a wide range of orthopedic services," says Nate Chaney, RN, BSN, orthopedic program director and unit based educator for the Orthopaedic Center of Excellence at Mercy Hospital Fairfield. "Our available options even include computer-assisted and minimally-invasive procedures."

World Class Care

What sets Mercy apart from other hospitals is the commitment to providing personalized care. At all five Mercy hospitals in Greater Cincinnati patients have the option to attend a joint replacement class. Designed to offer future patients a chance to view the facility, get to know the staff, complete important pre-admission testing, and find the answers to all their joint replacement questions, this course is greatly improving outcomes at Mercy facilities.

"The classes are not mandatory at our facility, but many doctors request patients attend them and a few require them," says Chaney. "When we first started offering the classes here, only a quarter of our patients attended, but now we're up to more than two-thirds. Patients who attend leave grateful that they came, and have fewer complications and faster recoveries."

By participating in joint replacement classes, Mercy hopes to educate joint replacement patients and transform them into partners in their own recovery process.

"We certainly encourage the patient and their family to get involved in the joint replacement process," says Owens. "By making a concerted effort to include everyone involved, and to educate those closest to the patient, the recovery process becomes a joint effort. Our proven results speak for the effectiveness of this approach."

For more information about orthopedic care available through Mercy hospitals, visit e-mercy.com.

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