1 0 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8
A
ny good
orthopedic
surgeon
believes
he's in
complete control of how
well knee replacement
patients will fare after he
replaces old bone with
new titanium, but
(between you, me and
the OR wall) some of the
keys to achieving excel-
lent outcomes are largely
out of his skilled hands.
It takes constant commu-
nication with patients,
effective pain manage-
ment, instrument and
staff standardization, and
technology-assisted
implant placement.
1. Constant contact
Keeping patients informed about what will happen on the day of sur-
gery and during their recovery motivates them to be active partici-
pants in their care. It's never been easier now that you can easily
How to Optimize Knee Replacements
Focus on these essential elements to send patients home healthy and happy.
Jared Bilski | Senior Associate Editor
• HOME TEAM Creating core groups of OR teams improves efficiency and
turnover time, and reduces surgical risk.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
