Treating an injured or diseased joint involves more than great surgical technique—it requires skilled, hands-on evaluation and testing to determine the best overall plan of care. Clinicians should be mindful that they are not only treating a joint—but the whole person.
The Joint Program at the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences provides a full continuum of coordinated, multidisciplinary care. The program is designed to support patients through every aspect of their experience, beginning with initial assessment through treatment, recovery and rehabilitation. For patients who haven’t found relief with non-surgical treatments, we provide minimally-invasive surgical techniques that help our patients get back on their feet quickly. Before surgery, we provide comprehensive educational classes that help each patient understand exactly what to expect in the hours, days and weeks following surgery.
Desert Regional Medical Center’s Joint Program has received certification and been recognized with the gold seal of approval by the Joint Commission for our management of knee and hip replacement. Choose one of America’s Top 100 Hospitals for Joint Replacement according to Healthgrades.
The average hospital stay for hip and knee replacement patients at the Joint and Spine Pavilion is just two nights. Some patients only stay one night and check out the next afternoon.
“We have geared our program to promote rapid recovery,” said Douglas Roger, MD, Medical Director of the Joint Replacement Program. “We know that patients do better at home, recovering in their own, comfortable surroundings.”
There are several reasons today’s patients can go home sooner than they once could. Among these reasons are minimally-invasive surgical techniques and multimodal pain management. What does that mean? It means preventing pain before it starts by changing the way the surgeon replaces the joint. This in turn minimizes the need for narcotics. We also provide on-site rehabilitation and a dedicated team of orthopedic nurses and physical therapists.
There are many benefits to the less-invasive surgical techniques provided by the ICON team of doctors, including:
- Less muscle and tendon damage
- Lower dislocation rate
- Minimal pain after surgery
- Faster recovery
- Faster recovery
- Non-post surgical precautions
Two Minimally-Invasive Options
ICON provides a minimally-invasive anterior approach to total or partial hip replacement. The Direct Anterior Approach allows the surgeon to reach the hip from the front, rather than the back. In this technique, the hip is replaced without detachment of the muscles from the pelvis or femur. This leaves these important muscles them undisturbed, resulting in significantly less surgical trauma. The anterior approach allows patients to immediately bend their hip freely and bear their full weight when comfortable. This means that patients can rapidly return to normal function without the typical restrictions of traditional hip replacement surgery.
ICON also provides the Direct Superior Approach, a minimally-invasive technique that was developed by ICON’s Dr. Douglas Roger. This approach decreases muscle trauma and soft tissue trauma during surgery.
Robotically-Assisted Hip and Knee Surgery
The surgeons at ICON have been trained in the use of the MAKO Robotic-Arm Assisted surgery system for greater accuracy in implant alignment for total hip replacement and partial knee resurfacing.
MAKO Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology
In the last few years, joint replacement surgery has seen the introduction of new minimally-invasive procedures and new technologies, like the MAKO. The MAKO Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology is designed to help doctors perform effective hip and knee replacements, relieving pain and improving mobility. How? For each patient, a unique pre-surgical plan is created. The physician can then use the robot’s 3D imaging to visualize the joint and prepare the patient for surgery. The Mako allows the surgeon to make adjustments as needed during the surgery. When the implant is being placed, the Mako will help guide the physician to the pre-defined area and prevent the surgery from moving outside the boundaries. As a result, physicians can ensure that they preserve as much healthy bone and tissue as possible, getting patients back on their feet quickly.
Whatever your specific concern, the specialists at ICON look forward to helping you find solutions to get back to the life you love.