Call our Total Joint Navigator at
205-333-4955 for questions or more information.
About Our Comprehensive Joint Program
Hip and knee joint replacement surgery can help restore your mobility,
letting you return to your daily routine without the joint pain that’s
been limiting you. We offer designated units specifically and exclusively
for our joint replacement patients at both DCH Regional Medical Center
and Northport Medical Center. Whatever you need, we’re here for
you. You won’t go through this alone – you’ll have a
whole unit of other patients who are experiencing the same things you
are – and you can help and encourage one another.
Designated Unit - Specially Trained Help
We believe in being with you every step of the way. That’s why we’ve
created a comprehensive program and a designated unit that includes a
team of health professionals who oversee your care, from before surgery,
to months after. Every person on this team is trained and dedicated to
ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients who are having, and
recovering from, joint replacement surgery. And our patients are with
other patients who are sharing the same experience and share mutual encouragement.
Joint Boot Camp
The DCH Comprehensive Joint Program includes “Joint Boot Camp,”
a chance for patients to learn about procedures before they undergo joint
replacement surgery for their knee or hip. In this class, you will be
able to meet your entire care team and ask questions. You’ll also
learn about your recovery period, and you’ll find out the best ways
to prepare for your surgery, both before and after your joint replacement.
This pre-surgery class will help you better know what to expect.
Joint Navigator
Our Comprehensive Joint Program also has a designated Joint Navigator,
who will follow up with you for up to 90 days after your surgery. Each
hospital offers this program, which helps our patients with group physical
therapy on the unit with other joint patients. You may very well meet
new friends in the program who are going through the same things you are,
and you can support and encourage each other as you continue to improve
after surgery.
Aftercare
Recovery from hip or knee replacement takes time. Our dedicated staff keeps
in contact with each patient after surgery – both in the hospital
and after they go home. The staff will check in with you, and we’ll
help address any issues you may have. We’re also here to encourage
you as you recover. Never hesitate to reach out with any concerns or questions.
Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement Surgery
Robotic-assisted knee and hip implant surgery at DCH Joint Replacement
Program offers a multitude of advantages for patients. Because it is so
precise, this surgery allows for more accurate implant positioning. This
can result in a more natural feeling after surgery. Additionally, this
type of surgery offers improved safety and a reduced risk of injury to
adjacent tissues. Robotic-assisted surgery also involves small incisions
– which can mean a quicker recovery, a shorter hospitalization,
and less pain.
All these factors combined increase the potential for a better outcome,
and better long-term function, allowing patients to get back to their
lives more quickly and with greater mobility.
How Robotic-Assisted Total Knee and Hip Replacement Works
Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology, available at Northport Medical Center, provides you with a personalized
surgical plan based on your unique anatomy. First, a CT scan of the diseased
joint is taken. This CT scan is uploaded into the Mako System software,
where a 3D model of your knee is created. This 3D model is used to pre-plan
and assist your surgeon in performing your partial knee replacement.
In the operating room, your surgeon follows your personalized surgical
plan while preparing the bone for the implant. The surgeon guides the
robotic arm within the pre-defined area and the Mako System. The surgeon
guides the robotic arm within the pre-defined area and the Mako System
helps the surgeon stay within the planned boundaries that were defined
when the personalized pre-operative plan was created.
THE BENEFITS
• A Precise Fit Robotic hip and knee replacements is one of the recent advances in medical
technology that is making replacement surgery easier and more successful
than ever before. Our surgeons can now customize joint replacement surgery
to closely match the unique anatomy of each patient. This results in a
precisely fitting, long-lasting, and well-functioning hip implant.
• Precise Implant Placement During the surgery, the surgeon guides the robotic arm to the location
of placement of the hip implant with the help of interactive data which
is updated in real time. With the robotic arm the surgeon can achieve
highly precise implant positioning and make adjustments during the procedure
for exact alignment.
• Reduced Failure Rate Although the risk is minimal, hip and knee replacements can fail for several
reasons, including dislocation, infection, loosening, and mechanical problems
with the implant itself. When performed in the traditional way –
without robotic assistance – hip and knee implants are most prone
to loosening.
Using CT-derived simulation, the surgeon can position the implant in a
way that allows for natural movement patterns. Doing so helps minimize
the stress on the knee or hip, resulting in less friction and wear and
tear of the implant. In addition to helping alleviate loosening issues,
problems such as implant breakdown or leg length discrepancy are less
likely to occur with robotic knee or hip replacement.
• Tissue Sparing Robotic-assisted knee and hip replacement allows the surgeon to preserve
as much of the healthy bone tissue as possible while only removing damaged
or necrotic tissue.
• Faster Recovery Patients who undergo robotic-assisted knee and hip replacement are often
up and about within a day or two after surgery. Yes, complete rehabilitation
may take a couple of months, but overall, robotic surgery allows for a
quicker, less painful recovery.
If conservative treatments have failed, robotic knee or hip replacement
could be the answer. Advanced technology, in the capable hands of highly-skilled
surgeons, allows for more successful outcomes for patients, with fewer
post-surgical complications, more precise implant placement, reduced damage
to surrounding tissues, and a faster, less painful recovery.
Hip or Knee Replacement
If you have tried numerous options to treat your hip or knee pain, and
it continues, it’s time to talk with your doctor about knee or hip
replacement.
You may be a candidate for hip or knee replacement if:
You suffer severe knee or hip pain that limits your daily activities
You have moderate pain in the affected joint(s) when you’re at rest
during the day or at night
You have knee or hip inflammation that’s long-lasting, along with
swelling that does not improve with rest or medications
Hip or Knee replacement surgery involves replacing the damaged or worn
hip or knee joint with an artificial one, either via minimally invasive
or traditional, open surgery.
Some of the advantages of having hip and knee replacement at DCH include:
Less pain
Improved joint function
Greater mobility
Successful outcomes
Comprehensive pre and post-operative care
3D Knee Implant
At the DCH Comprehensive Joint Program, we use the latest, most innovative
technology available to ensure the best patient outcomes.
Ask your doctor if a 3D knee implant is right for you.
This latest technology utilizes your individual CT scan data, combined
with proprietary software to manufacture a knee replacement implant made
just for you. In doing so, you’ll receive an implant that’s
designed to conform to your anatomy. This design allows your surgeon to
preserve as much of your natural knee as possible, and this includes your
own bone preservation. The implants are also thinner, allowing for less
bone and healthy tissue removal.
What are the Advantages?
Having a 3-D knee implant performed as part of the DCH Comprehensive Joint
Program offers several distinct advantages. The custom-made implants may
mean you’ll experience:
Less bone loss
Less blood loss
Less pain
A faster recovery
A better overall outcome
Contact Us
Your doctor can determine if you are a candidate for joint replacement
surgery on your knee or hip. And, if you are, know that the DCH Comprehensive
Joint Program is here to help you.
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