Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital Blog — Drs. Cerullo & Sheinkop, Chicago

Procedures Cut Pain After Joint Replacement

If it’s the fear of pain, of being immobile and dependent on others and months of rehabilitation that keeps you from undergoing hip or knee replacement, let us at the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago (NOHC) tell you about our accelerated recovery technique. Since mid 2007, the joint replacement surgeons at NOHC use three practices to reduce pain, reduce blood loss and speed up recovery.

First we use minimally invasive (M.I.S.) techniques that reduce blood loss, pain and enhance recovery. I was part of the team of several orthopedic surgeons that created M.I.S. approaches for the hip and knee starting in 2001. The national average for blood replacement is 33 percent. Our rate for hip and knee replacement is under 8 percent. The second part of the technique involves using regional rather than general anesthesia including epidurals with femoral and sciatic nerve blocks. The third component of the accelerated recovery technique is using a wound approach that is associated with plastic surgery. Stitches are used under the skin that dissolve and glue on the outside of the wound. This closure allows for patients to shower. We no longer use metal staples so there is less pain and more mobility right after surgery.

Our goal is to make the joint replacement experience close to pain free with a one to two day hospitalization and weeks rather than months of rehabilitation for maximal medical improvement. Gone are the post operative nausea, pain and dependency of what was the usual and customary experience with joint replacement as recent as early 2007. A patient of mine, Joe, had both knees replaced at age 72 on a recent Wednesday morning at NOHC. By afternoon he had no problem raising either leg off the bed and he had already initiated knee bends. Joe went home on the third day after surgery and traveled to out patient physical therapy on Monday. By Wednesday he was on the bike and in the swimming pool.

Watch a Q&A video about knee pain below.

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