Allegheny Health Network: Personalized Care and Advanced Technologies to Eliminate Joint Pain
Advancing knee and hip replacements with new technology at
Allegheny Health Network
As our population continues to get older and live longer, the
number of people in need of knee and hip replacements is
expected to skyrocket in the next 15 to 20 years.
the premier services in the country,” said Patrick J. DeMeo, MD,
Professor and Chair of AHN’s Orthopaedic Institute, and Medical
Director, Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Organization.
Allegheny Health Network (AHN) is already looking ahead to
the future to help those suffering from joint problems, offering
innovative treatments such as one-day knee replacements, bilateral
(or dual) knee and hip replacements, and the use of a robotic system
to help guide doctors during surgery. These are advancements that
offer shorter recovery time and hospital stays, allowing patients a
quicker path to pain-free mobility.
Doctors at AHN have already performed more than 100 procedures
using the MAKO™ Partial Knee Resurfacing and MAKO™ Total Hip
Arthroplasty.
“We are anticipating this growing demand for advanced
orthopaedic care in the community by further enhancing and
expanding our joint replacement program, and making it one of
Giving Diamond Care to knee and hip
replacement patients
Allegheny Health Network’s Diamond Care program offers
patients every resource possible necessary to assure the best
outcomes for orthopaedic knee and hip replacement surgery.
A Diamond Care Navigator is assigned
to every patient to provide one-on-one
counseling and support from the
time a surgery is scheduled through
a patient’s recovery from surgery at
home. Navigators also make calls to
patients after they are discharged from
the hospital to assure their recovery is proceeding well and
address any concerns or questions they have.
Patients who undergo joint replacement at AHN are cared for
on a dedicated orthopaedic unit that provides advanced pain
management techniques so that physical therapy can begin
the day of surgery. The Diamond Care team also conducts
an extensive clinical review of pre-operative testing and
screening to ensure patients are healthy before surgery,
reducing the risk of complications.
“The Diamond Care program takes the best aspects of care
from all Allegheny Health Network hospitals and nationally
recognized programs and integrates them into a streamlined
approach to ensure that superior care and outcomes are the
standard of care in our facilities,” said Patrick J. DeMeo,
MD, Professor and Chair of AHN’s Orthopaedic Institute, and
Medical Director, Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Organization.
The knee procedure involves resurfacing the diseased portion of
the knee, followed by an implant that is secured in the joint. Hip
replacement involves total reconstruction of the hip’s ball and
socket joint with an artificial implant.
In both procedures, the Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System
(RIO®) creates a 3-D model of a patient’s hip or knee, based on a CT
scan. During surgery, RIO® gives real-time data to the surgeon, who
controls a robotic arm, to give the best positioning for an implant.
AHN surgeons said the use of MAKO™ allows them to create a better
surgical plan to fit each patient’s individual needs.
“This less invasive option helps patients remain active and pain free
for many years and enables them to avoid total knee replacement
for longer,” said Michael Seel, MD, Director of Orthopaedic Surgery
at AHN’s West Penn Hospital and Wexford Health + Wellness
Pavilion.
Added AHN’s Timothy J. Sauber, MD, “The precision of MAKO™
allows for optimal placement of artificial joints and results in
decreased friction on the new joint, and a more natural feeling joint
for the patient.”
Some of the benefits of MAKO™ Partial Knee Resurfacing and Total
Hip Arthroplasty include:
• Less implant wear or loosening.
• Better alignment of a hip implant reduces the likelihood of hip
dislocation or other complications, including rubbing or reduced
range of motion. It also allows the surgeon to make sure both
legs remain the same length.
• Less invasive surgery, including less blood loss and less scarring.
• A quicker recovery and shorter hospital stay than
traditional surgery.
Frank Panza, of Ross Township, underwent a partial knee MAKO™
procedure in October 2015 because of painful arthritis. Frank said
he was able to stop using a cane within a week of going home, even
while his physical therapy continued.
“That robotic machine is amazing,” Frank said. “When you look at an
X-ray of my knee now, it’s so straight it’s unbelievable.”