Because there’s no replacement for you – Methodist opens new joint replacement center of excellence
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Life is too much fun to let sore joints slow you down. A call to 835-4662 can be the first step back to the activities you love. |
Patients who need joint replacement surgery aren’t actually sick. Instead, they’re often healthy, active, and motivated patients who are seeking relief for the arthritic knees and hips that have left them in a tremendous amount of pain. They’ve exhausted all other sources of relief for their pain until only one option remains—joint replacement surgery.
“The number of joint replacement surgeries will grow as more people age and want to continue to lead active lifestyles,” said Cletus McMahon, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Methodist Joint Replacement Center. “With the Baby Boomer population maturing and experiencing greater longevity than previous generations, Methodist’s new joint replacement center can stay ahead of the curve with advanced procedures and a focus on creating positive surgery outcomes with better quality of life.”
Education and Expectations
From the moment patients schedule joint replacement surgery until they’re discharged from Methodist, patients notice how the personalized care our staff delivers is different from what is traditionally available at other hospitals.
The staff at Methodist is focused on creating positive outcomes from the surgery.
The best ways to achieve this goal is to prepare patients with expectations before, during, and after the surgery to help them feel less anxious about the experience.
"About two weeks prior to the surgery, patients come to the hospital to take part in an educational program and optional tour of the center," says Virgie Jessie, RN, BS, CCM, joint care coordinator at Methodist. "The optional tour gives patients a chance to see our 12 private rooms with flat screen televisions and our physical therapy area. Patients will also discuss the surgery, whether they’ll want to go home or to a rehabilitation facility following the surgery, and the type of rehabilitation they will undergo."
During the educational program, patients meet many of the orthopedic-trained nurses who will care for them during their stays, as well as the physical therapists who lead the inpatient component of rehabilitation.
The Rehab Road to Recovery
Because patients undergoing joint replacement surgery are typically healthy, they’re motivated to get out of bed and recover from their procedure as quickly as possible. While they’re in the unit, they wear their own clothing rather than hospital gowns, and they’re encouraged to get up from bed to exercise and dine with others in the unit. The friendships— and competitiveness—that develops as a result of the group dynamic helps patients recover more quickly. Under the guidance of a physical therapist and a physical therapy assistant, patients who have undergone joint replacement concentrate on developing strength in their new joint and regaining mobility.
"Since elective joint replacement surgery patients are separated from the rest of the hospital population and they’re working in a group setting, we’re able to do a lot of intensive rehabilitation while they’re here," says Julie Rumph, BS, MPT, senior physical therapist at the Methodist Joint Replacement Center. "They’re all extremely driven to get back to normal as quickly as possible, and the intense rehabilitation we start after surgery is one way to get them on the road to full recovery."
On the Same Page
Though Methodist offered traditional joint replacement surgery for many years before opening the new joint replacement center in February, administrators wanted to take the program a step further by developing an entirely new system of care. Now, following the joint replacement procedures that are performed by some of the region’s best orthopedic surgeons, the staff at the center use a series of best practice guidelines and standard orders to treat patients efficiently and provide the best opportunity for optimal outcomes.
"The orthopedic surgeons on the hospital’s staff created a series of standard orders that cover everything from pain management to rehabilitation, and we’re able to customize those plans to best meet the needs of the individual patient," says Linda Thompson, RN, BS, MS, manager of the orthopedics/neurology specialty unit at Methodist. "Because of the standard orders, everyone—physicians, the nursing staff, physical therapists, and especially the patient— knows exactly what their responsibilities are during the hospital stay, and there are no steps left out. It’s a great system of checks and balances, and everyone benefits from the experience."
For a brochure about this unique service or for a listing of credentialed orthopedic surgeons at Methodist, call (865) 835-4662.