You’ve tried other treatments for your joint pain. But they’ve stopped working. Now maybe it’s time for joint replacement surgery for that stiff knee or aching hip.
What is joint replacement surgery?
Joint replacement is a surgical procedure to treat chronic pain in the hip, knee, or other joints when other non-surgical treatments do not offer relief. During the surgery, an orthopedic surgeon removes arthritic or damaged joints, replacing them with an artificial device to reduce pain and increase mobility.
Choosing your orthopedic surgeon and center
Whether you’re having a total knee replacement, hip or shoulder replacement, finding the best surgeon should be top of mind for anyone considering joint replacement surgery. So, what should you look for when choosing an orthopedic surgeon and joint replacement center?
1 – Experience and Volume
Experience is, of course, a critical factor. The way you gain experience is through actually doing surgeries. We opened the Total Joint Center in 2011. Since then we have watched our yearly volume of hip and knee replacements grow from 875 total joint replacements in 2011, to nearly 1700 per year today.
What does this say about our program? We have become more efficient, more effective, and gained increasing trust and loyalty from our community. We are better than ever before at total joint replacements, and we are constantly striving to improve ourselves.
Ten years ago, you could expect to stay in the hospital for an average of three and a half days. After the hospital, 40 percent of those patients would be discharged to a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation center.
Today, average length of stay is just under 24 hours. Even with shorter hospital stays, 95 percent of our patients are discharged directly home from the hospital.
These milestones are a testament to improvements in surgical technique, major advancements in nursing care and pain management, progressive physical therapy intervention, and an overall thirst for the absolute best outcomes for our patients.
2 – Measures of success
Along with our incredible increase in volume, we have also demonstrated improvements in our length of stay, infection rates, and patient satisfaction. For our patients, this is the real meat and potatoes. When we talk to patients prior to surgery, we explain that this is what truly matters.
You want to know you are having surgery in a place that:
- boasts infection rates far below the national average, at less than one percent
- has the ability to get you home quickly and safely
- offers consistent communication and teamwork to ensure we choose the most appropriate pathway for your individual safety and needs
- is nationally recognized for its program and outcomes
This is exactly what the Total Joint team at The Miriam Hospital delivers today. Our patients’ safety is a constant focus for our program, and a topic we address regularly.
The team approach
At the Lifespan Total Joint Center, our skilled surgeons, talented therapists, and dedicated nurses are the heartbeat of our program, and the reason we have been able to demonstrate a history of success and help guide thousands of patients toward their goals.
For the approximately 40 patients per week who walk through our doors at The Miriam Hospital for their total joint replacement, we are able to guide them through care and ensure a return to their functional goals. It’s what gets patients back to biking, hiking, playing with grandchildren, and living life to its fullest. It’s how we help you overcome your functional limitations.
Joint replacement near you
Learn more about the Total Joint Center and our team in Providence, Rhode Island.
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