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
