Weston Outpatient Surgical Center Brings Total Joint Replacements to the Center

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Each year, more physicians and patients are choosing the ambulatory surgery center setting for total joint replacements. At-home recovery, lower costs and reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections are some of the drivers for this change in setting. In line with the trend, more of our centers are bringing total joint procedures to the facilities. Weston Outpatient Surgical Center in Weston, Florida, is one of the latest to begin performing total joint procedures.

“We made total joints a priority at the center, and with preparation, we were able to perform four procedures in the fourth quarter of 2019,” explained Estella “Stella” Castoreno, Center Leader at Weston. “I am a recent hire at Weston and bring several years of experience in total joints. I made a stretch goal for myself to bring joints to Weston Outpatient Surgical Center as my first quarter initiative.”

Pairing Stella’s own experience with a highly motivated staff, Weston established a special total joints committee to begin the preparations for the new procedures. “We had many comprehensive meetings with the staff, equipment representatives and surgeon. We also created a dictionary with a list of questions and responses so that every person involved in the procedures would be aligned with the overall goals and objectives in joint procedures. The staff, physicians and vendors aligned with one vision.”

Another factor in preparing to bring total joints to the center is ensuring the patients are right for the setting. A pre-telephonic assessment of the patient history and living accommodations were a top concern for the committee. The patients must meet the criteria for an outpatient joint. While there is a significant focus on patient selection, having a high-caliber orthopedic surgeon is even more important. Stella, said, “A successful joint program requires the right patient and right surgeon.”

Preparing for total joints at the center also required the commitment of every member of the 80+ person team. In addition to the special committee that focused on the new procedures, the staff not directly involved in total joints significantly helped by maintaining operations for the center’s regular volume, 600 cases annually.

As a new leader at the center, the preparation for the total joint procedures was also Stella’s time to get better acquainted with her staff and surgeons. “I approached it as taking it back-to-basics. We went through mock procedures with every bit of equipment and supplies needed for the case.  I even included the vendor representative in our mock case,” Stella said. “One of our techs played the role of patient. We had a lot of fun preparing for the procedures.”

“I encouraged the staff to see themselves as travel agents. Our patients expect to get through the joint replacement journey and back home refreshed with even more pep in their step,” explained Stella.

Weston’s first total joint patient had an opportunity to tour the center and meet every person who would interact with the case, from the billing office, registration clerk, nursing staff (pre-admission testing, pre-op, PACU and O.R.), scrub technicians, anesthesia team, physical therapist and administrator. This helped ensure the patient was comfortable when returning on the day of surgery.

Stella encourages centers considering adding total joints to make it relatable to the staff and to consider the three pillars — patient, staff and physician.

  • Patient – Personalize the goal with the patient. A great question is “What did you like to do prior to your knee weakness (walk the mall, plant flowers, etc.)?” Keep in mind, patient(s) don’t measure their quality of life by “ambulating 20 feet.”
  • Staff – To be successful, you must have complete buy-in from everyone at the center. Procedures can become transactional, so we must always take on the opportunity with the goal of creating exceptional experiences for the patients.
  • Physician – A highly skilled, reputable surgeon is just as important. Encourage surgeons to transition to outpatient by using the patient criteria screen tool in an acute care setting.

With four successful total joint replacements completed, Weston plans to continue to expand its total joint procedures. “We thank Dr. Mario Berkowitz, Dr. Alexander Bertot and Dr. Thomas Riley for trusting us to care for your patients. It is a great honor,” Stella concluded.

To learn more about the Weston Outpatient Surgical Center, visit https://westonoutpatient.com.

Dr. Ken Beckman of the Columbus Eye Surgery Center Helps Teen with a Rare Eye Disease

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Recently featured on TODAY, Dr. Ken Beckman of the Columbus Eye Surgery Center treated a teen with a rare eye condition after years of misdiagnosis. Charlie Diehl was diagnosed with Keratoconus, a degenerative eye disease that causes the cornea to thin and form a cone shape. The disease only occurs in about one out of every 2,000 people.

As the disease is hard to detect, Charlie had been misdiagnosed since the age of five. After ongoing issues with his vision at school, Charlie’s family sought the help of Beckman. Beckman identified the diseases and recommended Charlie, age 16 at this point, undergo a corneal cross-linking procedure. Cross-linking uses ultraviolet light and drops to build up the cornea.

Charlie’s vision has improved, and he is no longer wearing contact lens or glasses. He is now a freshman at Ohio State University.

Learn more about Charlie’s story and treatment with Beckham on today.com.

Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala Performs 100th Total Joint Replacement Procedure

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On Jan. 10, the Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala completed a left total hip replacement. It was the center’s 100th total joint replacement (TJR) since it started providing them in 2017.

Joseph Locker, M.D., one of the center’s two physicians who perform TJRs, led the milestone procedure. The patient did not require pain medication and was able to leave the surgery center on crutches that day after spending two hours in recovery. In his post-operation follow-up, the patient rated the overall experience and the facility as a 10 out of 10.

Shorter Total Joint Replacement Recovery Time Compared to Hospitals

100.2The physicians and staff at Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala are committed to providing safe, high-quality, evidence-based care. As part of the center’s patient-centered approach, the team does not administer a spinal nerve block prior to surgery. Instead, they apply local anesthesia to the joint, which results in shorter recovery time and can have patients out the door within two hours after surgery.

Patients’ discharge is contingent upon ambulating to a reclining chair after the anesthesia wears off and demonstrating they can walk to their car. Following the surgery, patients are provided at-home physical therapy until the first post-operative appointment one week later. They are then transitioned to outpatient physical therapy.

These unique offerings have established Dr. Locker and his colleague, Zakariah Mahmood, M.D., as pre-eminent total joint orthopedic surgeons in the region. The center also relies on the expertise of surgeon Mark Rogers, M.D.

Surgery Center Patient Experience Surpasses Competitors

The staff at the center prides itself on going above and beyond the typical standard of care. The stellar patient experience is one of the many reasons the Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala had a 97 percent patient satisfaction rate from April 2017-April 2018, as determined by Press Ganey’s annual patient survey. Little touches such as post-operative food and beverages and a tumbler emblazoned with Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala Total Joint Program set the facility apart.

The Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala opened its doors July 29, 2016. The 10,000-foot facility is certified by Medicare and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and has three operating rooms. It also offers completely private post-operative rooms to ensure patient comfort. While the most common TJR is a hip procedure, the team frequently performs total knee and total shoulder replacements. As more patients seek care in the outpatient setting, the team expects its TJR program to continue growing.

Patient Praises Total Hip Replacement Experience at Florida Surgery Center

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Total hip replacements have dramatically increased in frequency in recent years, with more than 300,000 procedures performed annually. General wear and tear, rheumatoid arthritis and injury are just a few of the reasons why people decide to pursue hip replacement surgery. Like many people who experience severe, prolonged hip pain, John Adicks, a pharmacist from Gainesville, Fla., decided to explore his options for hip replacement.

Adicks wanted to have the procedure performed as soon as possible, so he scheduled it for November 2017 at Orthopaedic Surgery Center of Ocala, Fla., as opposed to a hospital outpatient department. The ease of scheduling the replacement was one of the selling points of having the procedure at a center; the hospital would have not been able to fit him into the schedule until March 2018. Adicks also stated, “I felt I would be exposed to far fewer germs in a surgery center setting than in a hospital.”

Upon arrival at the surgery center, Adicks and his wife Jeanette were pleasantly surprised by their experience. “Jeanette is a critical care nurse and she was very impressed by the facility,” Adicks said. Both noted how exceptionally clean the facility was and how quickly the process moved. After the procedure, Adicks left the facility on crutches and a physical therapist stopped by for a home visit shortly thereafter. Just two weeks later, he no longer needed the crutches.

For those contemplating a total hip replacement, Adicks said he could not stress enough how much the procedure reduced his pain: “I was in significantly more pain prior to the replacement and only experienced minor soreness after the procedure.” He previously had a knee replaced as a hospital outpatient and said the hip replacement surgery was a far superior experience, with regard to both pain and the care he received. Adicks recalled, “The staff took really great care of me. I would unequivocally recommend having a procedure at a surgery center after my experience exceeded expectations.”