Imagine receiving an artificial knee, then returning home mere hours after your surgery – and immediately beginning strengthening exercises. Sound like a scene from “The Bionic Man” or a science fiction novel?
It’s really happening in Northern Kentucky.
This idea would have seemed far-fetched even 10 years ago, but today it is a very real option for patients in our region. Thanks to a forward-thinking team of orthopedic surgeons, home health nurses, physical therapists and other professionals at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, patients are seeing faster recovery time and lower risk of infection.
And, if the idea of sleeping in your own bed right after surgery isn’t appealing enough, it gets better. Patients are welcomed home by a nurse and physical therapist who help them get situated. They also begin their initial rehabilitation exercises. This in-home support continues daily for the first ten days following surgery.
“Our new outpatient program represents a major shift in patient convenience and safety,” says John Larkin, MD, a surgeon from OrthoCincy who performed the region’s first outpatient total knee replacement at St. Elizabeth Edgewood in October 2015. “By eliminating a hospital stay and adding one-on-one, in-home support, we’re lowering the risk of infection, speeding up recovery and producing happier patients.”
To learn more about this procedure and other joint replacements, join the experts from the Orthopedic Institute at St. Elizabeth for Living Without Limits: Total Joint Replacements. Experts will be on hand to discuss advancements in treatment options for chronic knee and hip pain. The educational session will be on Tuesday, November 15 at the SETEC on Olympic Boulevard in Erlanger (formerly the NKU METS Center). Please call (859) 301-7276 or click the button below to reserve your spot.
