Pre-Operative Care & Patient Optimization Before Surgery
At Whole Health Orthopedic Institute, we perform minimally invasive hip, knee, and shoulder replacement surgeries with a concentration on comprehensive patient care in Meadville, Pa. This means that we take the time to foster personal relationships with our patients because we believe that by working together, we can help shape the results of their operation just as much as the surgery itself. This philosophy is largely successful due to the number of incredibly skilled medical personnel and orthopedic surgeons we employ. Our expert team assesses pre-surgical risks and work closely with patients in order to ensure they are set up for success prior to entering the operating room.
This part of the process is known as personalized pre-operative care, and we can use it to determine the best personalized and concierge joint replacement solution for you. Before you make the decision to undergo an elective joint replacement surgery, we feel it is important to define and present the advantages of pre-operative orthopedic care as it can impact the general outcome of your operation.
What is Pre-Operative Orthopedic Care?
In addition to providing unmatched orthopedic care, Whole Health Orthopedic Institute excels at offering pre-operative care, which we would define as not only physical, but the mental and emotional health of each patient prior to surgery. Each of our patients receive personalized medical support in addition to a nurse navigator, whom they can always reach out to with questions or concerns. This nurse navigator can also aid in the quick recovery of patients regardless of the operation performed by encouraging positive lifestyle changes and alternative treatments.
When Dr. Ryan Molli set out to create Whole Health Orthopedic Institute, he did so with the intent to create an adult reconstruction and joint replacement center that would focus on superior quality sub-specialty orthopedics and comprehensive yet personalized patient care. To this day, this is reflected in the way we handle pre-operative risk assessment and patient optimization before surgery, as well as education and preparation. As the only AOBOS (American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgeons) board-certified and adult reconstruction/sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons in Meadville, Pa, our talented staff collaborates to create the best possible preoperative and postoperative plan for each of our individual patients with the ultimate goal of optimizing the results of your joint replacement operation.
Why Does Patient Optimization Before Surgery Matter?
The reason Whole Health Orthopedic Institute puts so much stock into patient optimization before surgery is because of the way it can help minimize potential complications or poor outcomes that may be indicated during a patient’s pre-surgical health assessment. We believe the healing process does not start after the joint replacement, but rather before with the education of patients in regards to risks, complications, and realistic expectations.
George F. “Rick” Hatch III, MD and associate professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC, compared surgery to running a marathon. To paraphrase, without preparation, it is likely we would be disappointed in the general outcome, and the same could be said about preparing our bodies for the stress of surgery. There are certain risk factors we cannot change, such as age or medical history, and others that we can change. These modifiable risk factors include substance abuse and the way we treat current medical conditions, such as diabetes. Our motivation for modifying these behaviors is the overall safety and wellness of our patients.
Comprehensive Patient Care in Meadville, Pa.
At the end of the day, Whole Health Orthopedic Institute’s unique philosophy is part of what has attracted so much talent to us. Dr. Daniel Milam, who specializes in sports medicine, recognized that a large part of practicing is creating a customized plan based on each patient’s injury and activity; this is a foundational component of Whole Health’s mission to provide comprehensive patient care in Meadville, Pa. Similarly, prior to joining us, Dr. Phillip Frndak actually worked to create a hybrid approach to rehabilitation that would minimize the pain a patient experienced while optimizing the result of their surgery. This work directly influenced our current mission and values at Whole Health. We tend to opt for minimally invasive procedures, or any procedure that will be kinder to the patient’s natural anatomy; this decision, combined with our outlook on treatment and recovery, is largely what sets us apart from other orthopedic practices.
It is the reason we do what we do: to see patients smile and know how much less pain they are experiencing due to our methods. As the patient, you are likely to have the best idea of when you are ready for a joint replacement procedure based on your quality of life and the number of “bad days” you are having. If you feel you may be ready for a minimally invasive joint replacement, contact us today to discuss a consultation.
