Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Orthopedics - Supplement to Outpatient Surgery Magazine - August 2016

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 3 5 Although partial knees represent only 6% of all pri- mary knee replacements performed today, an increasing number of surgeons who operate on uni knee patients are looking to discharge them on the day of surgery, says Craig J. Della Valle, MD, a joint replacement physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and a professor of orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "Many sur- geons like myself who want to start doing joint replacements on an outpatient basis start by doing partial knees in the surgery center setting," says Dr. Della Valle. The procedure is minimally invasive, because patients ideally suited for the surgery present with cartilage degeneration in only one compartment of the knee, typically on the joint's lateral or medial side, says Dr. Della Valle. Instead of replacing the entire joint, the surgeon removes only the diseased cartilage and bone, while preserving the ligaments that help support the joint. The surgeon then places an implant to take the place of the removed anatomy. For outpatient facilities, the big draws of uni knees are that they require less equipment than total knees and they offer significant profit potential. Profit margins as high as 40% on uni knee procedures performed in an ASC are not uncommon, says Gary Levengood, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Sports Medicine South in Lawrenceville, Ga. It's a great option for your patients, too. Dr. Levengood says patients tend to recov- er quicker, are more satisfied with the surgery and have a more natural movement in their joint compared with patients who undergo a total knee replacement. — Kendal Gapinski Clear Benefits: Why Adding Partial Knees Makes Sense • STARTING POINT Surgeons can get a feel for total knee arthro- plasty by first replacing only a portion of the joint. Craig J. Della Valle, MD

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