A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 5
P
roper
patient
position-
ing pre-
vents
poor performance. "One of
my mentors told me that,
and I'll never forget it," says
surgeon Gabe Horneff, MD,
a shoulder specialist at the
Rothman Orthopaedic
Institute in Philadelphia, Pa.
The self-described "stickler"
for making sure patients are
placed just so before sur-
gery has been known to ask
the surgical team to start
the positioning process over
if proper alignment is off by
even a hair. It's that impor-
tant to him.
"Good access starts at the skin incision," says Dr. Horneff. "If you don't
have it there, you're going to regret that you didn't position patients prop-
erly as you go deeper into the joint."
Your surgeons likely share Dr. Horneff's passion for positioning, so let's
look at effective ways to give them the joint access they want and need at
Jared Bilski | Senior Associate Editor
Positioning Pointers From the Pros
Orthopedic surgeons offer their top tips for
optimizing access during hip, knee and shoulder procedures.
• LEG UP Surgeons who understand the importance of proper patient posi-
tioning are sticklers for making sure it's done correctly before they begin
operating.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
