Knee Replacement

 

Knee joint replacement is surgery to replace a painful damaged or diseased knee joint with an artificial joint (prosthesis).

The most common cause of knee damage requiring knee replacement is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the knee bones which cause the surfaces of the knee joint to become irregular and rough, preventing smooth painless motion of the knee joint.

Why Consider Knee Replacement?

Knee joint replacement may be recommended for:

• Arthritis of the knee and decreased knee function caused by arthritis
• Inability to sleep through the night because of knee pain
• Knee pain that hasn't responded to other therapy (including medication, injections, and physical therapy for 6 months or more)
• Knee pain that limits or prevents activities

These days, there is no “right” age to get a joint replacement. Many younger individuals now opt for joint replacement, since the latest generation of these technologically advanced implants can last for 25 to 30 years. Patients do not have to wait to get back to their active, pain-free lives.

To see if you may be a candidate for a joint replacement, take the joint replacement questionnaire, and someone from the Joint Replacement Institute will be in touch.

Virtua's Joint Replacement Program

Virtua's Joint Replacement Institute helps patients restore the ability to move pain-free following injuries to the hips or knees. The program offers a wide range of care -- from prevention and fitness to surgery and rehabilitation.

Same-day knee replacement

Virtua is a leader in minimally-invasive same-day total knee replacements and is one of a few hospitals in the country to offer this procedure. Same-day knee replacement surgery is total knee replacement. But, instead of spending a day or two in the hospital, the patient goes home the day of surgery. Rehab starts before leaving the hospital, and therapists have patients on their feet within hours after the procedure. Patients frequently go back to work within weeks, not months.

Virtua’s Joint Replacement Institute provides a comprehensive continuum of state-of-the-art surgical, nursing and rehabilitative care that includes everything from a pre-surgery orientation class and pre-admission testing, to discharge planning and rehabilitation. All of it is here in South Jersey, close to home, family and friends.

Virtua’s Joint Replacement Institute is dedicated to the recovery and return to functionality of all total joint replacement patients. Individualized, personalized care and attention are hallmarks of the Virtua program.

The Virtua surgeon you choose is the surgeon who performs the procedure and cares for you before, during and after surgery. All care is overseen by a supportive staff of highly skilled professionals including your orthopedic surgeon, experienced registered orthopedic nurses and a clinical team that includes: rheumatologists, family physicians and internists, anesthesiologists, social workers, case managers, dietitians, plus occupational and physical therapists.

Minimally invasive procedures

Virtua offers minimally invasive surgeries that reduce blood loss and trauma to the surrounding tissues. In addition, many Virtua physicians use the quad-sparing method for total knee replacement. This practice removes the need to cut the quadriceps tendon and enhances a faster return to normal activities.

The advantages to minimally invasive surgery include:

• Smaller incisions
• Decreased blood loss
• Shorter recovery time
• Faster return to normal activities

 

Virtua's surgeons form a special relationship with their patients. They diagnose the patient pre-operatively, perform the surgery, and are responsible for all post-operative care, providing a continuum of care that patients don’t often experience with their surgeons.

Outpatient rehabilitation

Following joint replacement surgery, Virtua offers advanced outpatient care through Virtua in Motion Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. Virtua in Motion clinical therapists are fully accredited in their specialties and have an average of 14 years of experience.

Interdisciplinary staff members develop individualized treatment plans and work closely with a patient's physician to ensure every aspect of medical history is considered during recovery. Therapists use advanced techniques and state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment to return joint replacement patients to normal activity as quickly as possible.

Virtua in Motion Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Centers are conveniently located across South Jersey in:

• Camden
• Cherry Hill
• Lumberton
• Moorestown
• Sewell
• Voorhees
• Washington Township

Learn more about Virtua in Motion, including locations and hours of service.