Orthopedics

Total Joint Replacement Program

Getting you back to what you want to do!

Today there are more and more people wanting to maintain a more active lifestyle. However, whether it is from an injury earlier in life or a familial history of arthritis or other orthopedic related issue, our joints sometimes get in the way of what we want to do.

If this sounds like you, The Trinitas Total Joint Replacement Program is just the right place to find solutions. Every step of the way, we will educate and prepare you for your total joint replacement, give you the finest, compassionate care during your hospital stay and provide you with a post operative outpatient rehabilitation program that will have you "getting back to what you want to do!"

Our team of orthopedic surgeons, nurses, and therapists will put you at the center of the treatment plan decision making to be sure your expectations are met and that you have every opportunity for success.

While having pain, many individuals are not sure that they are candidates for a replacement. Some are concerned about what they have to do to gain their function back after the operation, while others are a bit nervous about the operation itself and the potential of pain and how it will impact their lives. There has been tremendous advances in total joint replacement which results in greater, pain free return to function and a return to the activities that bring great satisfaction to people's lives.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, over 500,000 total knee replacements are performed each year. In addition, close to 300,000 total hip replacements are performed each year as well. These individuals reap the advantages of over 50 years of experience in refining operative techniques, advancing total joint component design and enhancements in the rehabilitation of these joints.

The Decision to Have a Joint Replacement

As we age, everyone seems to have an ache or a pain someplace. Changes in the surfaces of our joints, also known as osteoarthritis, are the most prevalent cause of joint pain for many people. While some individuals can work through the pain and not have it affect their daily lives, others experience pain that limits their ability to perform daily everyday functions to a point that the pain makes it difficult to take care of themselves. Other persons, especially those of the baby boomer generation, want to continue very active lifestyles that the arthritis in their joints makes difficult to achieve. It is at these levels of pain that impacts people's daily lives that prompts them to visit their doctor.

A family physician will then do a physical exam, do blood tests and take x-rays to determine the cause of your joint pain. Once it is established that the joint surfaces are the potential source of your pain, they will refer you to an orthopedist who can determine whether or not you need a total joint replacement.

The Role of Physical Therapy in Total Joint Replacement

Your orthopedist may first refer you to physical therapy to determine if maximizing your muscle function can decrease your pain to a point where you can manage your discomfort and lead an active life without having an operation. While some do gain enough pain relief and are able to return to a level of function without a joint replacement, others, while their muscles are in much better shape, may still find the pain and loss of movement at a level that they opt to have a total joint replacement. This build up of strength before the decision is made to have a total joint replacement are in much better shape going into having the procedure than those that do not.

Surgical and Post-Operative Advancements

As mentioned earlier, advancements in operative techniques, advancements in the design of the total joint replacement itself and advanced physical therapy techniques have all had positive impact on the outcomes people experience with total joint replacements.

The national average for total joint replacement patients stay in the hospital is less than 4 days, depending on the type of surgery, age of the patient and any other medical conditions a person may have. After the surgery, both total hip and total knee patients are up and walking immediately with most starting the afternoon of their surgery. Early movement and increasing walking ability and the patient's ability to take care of themselves is stressed. Physical and occupational therapists provide the skills and encouragement necessary to achieve these early, major gains in function. One of the comments many patients make is the fact that while they experience the normal postoperative discomfort anyone has after a surgery of this type, they also notice that the pain they had before the operation is all but gone. The reason for that is rather simple. The source of that pain, the roughed surfaces of bone in the joint…are now gone! Pain reduction, new methods of non narcotic pain control, early movement and function are all the hallmarks of today's modern total joint replacement experience. We have come a long way!

Post Discharge – Keys to Success

After discharge from the hospital, patients usually go either to a sub acute facility for additional rehabilitation or go home with home care. In either case…. the real work now begins!

Patients who set their goals and strive to achieve them are those that achieve the greatest success. Our society still has a bit of a passive approach to their healthcare. Many still just want the pill and move on with their lives. This is not so with total joint replacements. People who have a total joint replacement are fully engaged in their own treatment and progress. They find themselves doing more, with less pain, than they ever thought they would be able to do.

Are you a Candidate?

Take a look at your current daily lifestyle:

• Are you finding it increasingly difficult getting out of a chair or walking certain distances due to pain or stiffness in your hip or knee?
• Do your joints get swollen after a small amount of daily activity?
• Are there daily activities that you love to do but now cannot due to joint pain or stiffness?

These are signs that you should consult your doctor and determine the best plan for you.

We believe we are the "go to" program in the region. We invite you to click on the total hip or total joint icon below and begin the process of getting relief from your joint pain and begin your journey on the road to "Getting you back to what you want to do!"

If we have not met your expectations and have not resolved your concern to your satisfaction, you may contact:

Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Il 60181

Phone: (800) 994–6610
FAX: (630) 792–5636
Email: complaint@jointcommission.org