Center For Advanced Orthopedics Offers TLC For Joint Replacement

Danbury — The only regret Vladimir Nisler has about his total hip replacement is that he did not do it sooner. As one of more than 500 patients who chose to have hip or knee replacement surgery at Danbury Hospital last year, the 61-year-old Southbury resident lived with severe osteoarthritic hip pain for five years, which made walking nearly impossible.

Whether the problem is from an injury or osteoarthritis from general wear and tear of a joint, total joint replacement is no longer considered the option of last resort. “Now with specialized surgeons, more durable implants, and improved operative techniques, we have reduced pain, improved outcomes, and shortened recovery times for the majority of patients,” said Ronald Tietjen, MD, chief of orthopedic surgery and medical director of the hospital’s Center for Advanced Orthopedic Care.

Demand for Danbury Hospital’s services makes it a highly experienced center in Connecticut for total joint replacements (arthroplasty) performed each year. Robert Deveney, MD, Department of Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery, who was appointed as co-director of the hospital’s Total Joint Replacement Program in 2005, performed Mr Nisler’s hip replacement last April.

“My hip was getting worse and worse,” Mr Nisler said, “So, I decided I should just do it.” While Mr Nisler was very pleased with the surgery and rehabilitation, he lists his greatest accomplishment as being able to ditch his walking cane soon after. Working for 30 years on an oil barge in the East River near Queens, N.Y., means that being on his feet all day is crucial to his livelihood.

After being in the hospital only three days, Mr Nisler spent six days in rehabilitation at Bethel Health Care Center. After in-home physical therapy, he returned to his job in late April — in less than a month. Today he is pain free; back to exercising, lifting weights and riding a bicycle — things he had enjoyed doing, but had stopped because of the pain. Mr Nisler explained that joint replacement can make a dramatic difference.

“Dr Deveney gave me my life back,” he said.

Mr Nisler is among more than 300,000 people who have total hip replacement each year in the United States, which improves mobility, relieves pain, and boosts function of the hip joint. During hip replacement, or arthroplasty, the surgeon removes the diseased parts of the hip joint and replaces them with state-of-the-art artificial parts. The same principles are also used in total knee replacement surgery.

Dr Deveney, who specializes in hip and knee procedures, explained that faster recovery can be attributed, in part, to less invasive procedures that require smaller incisions. “Minimally invasive procedures make the recovery process less painful and reduce the time spent in the hospital, while better hip implants have dramatically increased long-term durability,” he said.

Dr Deveney, along with Daniel Fish, MD, his co-director of the Total Joint Replacement Program, are among the leading orthopedic surgeons around the country who are using the minimally invasive techniques to get patients back on their feet faster than ever before possible. They agree that less discomfort and an easier recovery offer the benefits demanded by younger people who may have otherwise delayed such a surgery and endured long-term pain and loss of function.

 “There is no need to wait if you think you are a candidate for total joint replacement. Speak with your physician about how it can help you live the life you want,” Dr Deveney said.

Mr Nisler agrees whole-heartedly with Dr Deveney, and would advise anyone living with arthritis hip pain to consider the surgery.

“Just do it,” he said. “You’ll be happy you did.”

According to Dr Deveney, the hospital has developed a program that ensures the highest quality of care for all orthopedic patients. Recent orthopedic developments for better safety, quality, and technology at Danbury Hospital include:

Standardized preoperative procedures to enhance efficiency and patient satisfaction

Dedicated orthopedic operating rooms with specialized surgical, nursing, and rehabilitation teams

The most advanced techniques, including minimally invasive surgery for both hip and knee replacement, at times utilizing computer-assisted surgical navigation for greater surgical accuracy

Reduced postsurgical pain through the more effective use of anesthesia and dedicated anesthesia teams

In addition to relieving pain and vastly improving mobility for joint replacement patients, over the past year, Danbury Hospital continues to emerge as a regional center for orthopedic care. This growth and development has eliminated the need for patients to leave the region for complicated orthopedic procedures at larger health centers in metropolitan areas.

Dr Tietjen said, “Today, we can provide the highest degree of excellence in orthopedic care right in Danbury.” He explained that Danbury Hospital’s orthopedic surgeons are some of the best in the health care field today, with 100 percent certified by the American Board of Orthopedics. Many are fellowship-trained, which means they have additional education in a particular orthopedic specialty.

Additionally, more surgeons are specializing in a particular kind of orthopedic care, like joint replacement, which means better outcomes for patients. “It used to be that an orthopedic surgeon would operate on your bunion or your back,” said Dr Tietjen. “Now, our doctors subspecialize in procedures of the knee, hip, or shoulder.”

Dr Tietjen, who specializes solely in knee replacements and knee surgery, said that is good news for patients because doctors who are more skilled and experienced in a certain type of procedure will do a better job. Dr Tietjen, along with Drs Deveney and Fish, said their goal is to continue to develop the joint replacement program in collaboration with the region’s orthopedic surgeons.

“Danbury Hospital has made a strong commitment of resources to make this program successful. Now, we have to educate the community to further improve awareness and access to orthopedic care for our region,” said Dr Tietjen.

For more information about Danbury Hospital, its orthopedic surgeons and joint replacement surgery visit www.danburyhospital.org or call the Department of Surgery at 797-7345.