By: Andrew Wassef, M.D., medical director, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Long Beach Medical Center
Patients in need of full or partial joint replacements can be assured that their care at MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center goes beyond what they might typically expect. It starts with patient education classes led by the joint care coordinator, who helps patients and their families navigate their joint replacement journey through treatment and recovery.
Long Beach Medical Center offers Mako™ robotic-arm assisted surgery, which offers patients the best technology available. Combining the latest technology with extensive patient education, both pre- and post-op, the team’s commitment to rapid recovery, and a specialized approach to physical therapy and pain management, Long Beach Medical Center provides the continuum of care.
Mako is a revolutionary technology that provides a magnified 3D model of the joint area and real-time high-definition imaging. The surgeon can manipulate the robotic arm behind a console for precise placement of an artificial joint. The robot translates the surgeon’s natural hand, wrist and finger movements – creating the ultimate precision.
Another breakthrough that enables a rapid recovery is the approach to anesthesia. The anesthesiology teams use localized nerve blocking chemicals to reduce pain and inflammation, rather than general anesthesia, which induces unconsciousness. With visual assistance from a real-time ultrasound, the anesthesiologist uses a fine needle to numb the targeted-area’snerves. Patients who have the local anesthetic wake up feeling comfortable and free of pain. It has less impact on the body than the general approach.
After surgery, patients meet with specialized nurses and physical therapists who make sure they get out of bed and start walking right away. Before discharge, 92% of joint replacement patients walk at least 300 feet (nearly the length of one football field) all at one time. In addition, 97% of patients are discharged home rather than a Skilled Nursing Facility compared to the national average of 94%. Rehabilitation continues after the patient goes home with access to online education and exercise lists.
The team provides a wealth of information in the patient education classes, so there is a checklist that reminds them what they need to do every day to aid in their recovery.
The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center’s patient outcomes are consistently better than national average benchmarks for length of hospital stay, infections and readmission rates.
The team tracks each patient’s recovery after they go home. They look at the data and learn from it. The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center is more than just a place to have surgery. It’s a full program of treatment for joint pain.
Learn more at memorialcare.org/LBJointReplacement.