Joint Replacement Surgical Services
Our Joint Replacement Center specializes in partial knee, total knee and total hip replacements. Joint replacement involves surgery to replace the ends of bones in a damaged joint. This surgery creates new joint surfaces. We offer a three-day program and most patients go home on the second day after surgery.
Patients typically recover quickly. It is normal for patients to begin walking the day of surgery. Generally, patients are able to return to driving in 2-4 weeks, dancing in 4-6 weeks and golf in 6-12 weeks. Results will vary depending on the quality of the surrounding tissue, the patient's activity level and the patient's adherence to the doctor's orders.
Our surgeons use only the best implants in the industry. Biomet and Depuy, leaders in the medical device field, supply us with the implants we recommend to our patients. Both product lines offer multiple sizes. This allows our surgeons to match an implant to the patient based on their size and activity level, ensuring a proper fit for each individual patient.
Partial Knee Replacement
Some individuals have a knee with only a small amount of damage while the remainder of the knee is completely healthy. In these instances, your surgeon will determine if the best course of action is to replace only the damaged part of the knee. These surgeries typically allow the surgeon to create a smaller incision and you may recover more quickly.
Total Knee Replacement
A total knee replacement is really a bone and cartilage replacement with an artificial surface. The knee itself is not replaced, as is commonly thought; technically it is resurfaced. Implants are attached to both the lower end of the femur (thighbone) and upper end of the tibia (shinbone). This creates a new, smooth cushion and functioning joint that can reduce or eliminate pain.
Total Hip Replacement
A total hip replacement is an operation that removes the arthritic head or ball of the upper femur (thighbone) as well as damaged bone and cartilage from the hip socket. The ball is replaced with a metal ball that is fixed securely inside the femur. The socket is replaced with a plastic or metal liner, which is usually fixed inside a metal shell, to create a smoothly functioning joint.
Anterior Hip Replacement
The anterior approach uses specialized instruments that allow the surgeon to access the hip joint by entering the front of the body and going between the hip muscles with a single incision. Because this approach does not disrupt the muscle tissue, it can result in decreased pain and faster recovery time. The approach can provide many other advantages compared to traditional hip replacement surgeries, including:
- Faster rehabilitation
- Reduced pain and recovery time, resulting in earlier return to full mobility
- Increased stability and reduced risk of hip dislocation
