Joint Replacement Procedures
In addition to performing traditional total joint replacement, surgeons at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital use advanced, minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. Some of these exciting solutions include:
Anterior Hip Approach: Better Precision, Less Incision
During the anterior approach—a significantly less invasive alternative to standard hip replacement—your surgeon uses a specially designed table to reach the hip joint from the front, as opposed to the side or back. This way, the hip can be replaced with a single incision—and without disturbing surrounding muscles or tendons.
Immediately following surgery, patients can usually bend their hip freely and bear full weight when comfortable. Other benefits may include:
- Less pain
- Reduced tissue healing required
- Reduced risk of dislocation, unequal leg length and other complications
- Same-day discharge home
- Quicker return to the life you love
Partial Knee Replacement: Get Back to Your Life Faster
As an alternative to total knee replacement, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital also offers partial knee replacement. This procedure may be an option if your arthritis is confined to one area of the knee, and conservative treatments like physical therapy, medication or weight loss no longer provide relief.
Because only a single portion of the knee is replaced, you may experience less post-operative pain, faster recovery and a more natural-feeling joint. Patients walk the same day as surgery and may be back to driving and daily activities within several weeks.
Total Shoulder Replacement: Helping Relieve Pain, Restore Motion
The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body, but that very flexibility makes it prone to both sudden injury and chronic wear. After age 40, many problems are caused by the effect of repeated overhead motions over a long period of time. Weekend athletes and do-it-yourselfers are especially vulnerable to overuse problems—including arthritis resulting from a damaged or torn rotator cuff.
If you're suffering with a severely stiff and painful shoulder, and non-invasive treatments like physical therapy haven't worked, you may be a candidate for total shoulder replacement. Surgeons at the Orthopedic Center perform both traditional total shoulder replacement for bone-on-bone osteoarthritis and intact rotator cuff tendons, as well as reverse total shoulder replacement for completely torn rotator cuffs. These procedures often offer significant pain relief and help restore motion, function and strength.
Call (574) 267-3200, ext. 2249 or find an orthopedic surgeon who can help you find relief.