Featured • Posted in Uncategorized

Welcome

By

The most difficult obstacle to resolving knee pain and receiving a knee replacement is finding good, unbiased information.  The purpose of Knees for You is to help patients better understand their treatment options. Doctors sometimes tend to be too busy to take time to explain things in depth and clearly.  Sometimes there are other alternatives which some doctors don’t believe in or don’t know about, yet could be the perfect solution to your problem. That is the purpose of Knees for You, helping the perspective patient understand total knee replacement, partial knee replacement and knee treatments.

I had a hip resurfacing in 2006.  Many doctors at the time did not know about hip resurfacing and many did not want to train to learn the difficult surgery, so the way I learned about hip resurfacing was thru the internet and discussion groups. There are often new approaches to solving problems that … Read the Rest

Featured • Posted in Total Knee Rep

What is a Total Knee Replacement

By

A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased knee joint is replaced with artificial material. The knee is a hinge joint which provides motion at the point where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thigh bone (or femur) abuts the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint. During a total knee replacement, the end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a channeled plastic piece with a metal stem. Depending on the condition of the kneecap portion of the knee joint, a plastic “button” may also be added under the kneecap surface.… Read the Rest

Posted in Doctor Information

New Nationwide Ratings of Surgeons Based on Patient Outcomes

By

Nonprofit Consumer Group Releases First‐Ever and Only Nationwide Ratings of Surgeons for Patient Outcomes,  Based on Government Data Previously Kept from the Public

New Website Shows that Similar Patients Have Three Times the Risk of Death or other Bad Outcomes with Some Surgeons Compared to Other Surgeons.

www.surgeonratings.org

WASHINGTON—Preventable medical errors of various kinds kill at least 200,000 Americans each year,
making this the third leading cause of death in the United States, six times as many deaths as from auto
accidents. One way to reduce such errors is for consumers to choose the best surgeons. For the first
time ever, consumers across the U.S. today have access to ratings of individual surgeons based on
outcomes—how often their patients die in hospital or within 90 days of hospital discharge, have serious
complications in hospital, or need to be readmitted to a hospital within 90 days of discharge.

The ratings were 

… Read the Rest

Posted in Patient Stories

Gary Arner’s Double Knee Replacement at Lehigh Valley 2015

By

Read Complete Article Here

Gary Arner used to squat more than 800 pounds and dead lift more than 700. But by mid-summer, his knees were so shot that the former competitive powerlifter couldn’t get around without the aid of a walker.

“It’s terrible. It’s depressing,” the 55-year-old Allentown resident said of his loss of mobility and independence. “It wears on you.”

“I’m not going to lie,” Gary Arner of Allentown told The Morning Call after a double knee replacement last summer. “That first week was tough. It hurts.”

But less than two months later he was back to pumping iron in his garage — though only upper-body work because he wanted his new knees to last as long as possible. He said his knees were pain-free, although his back and hips were a bit achy because, after years of stooping to accommodate knees that wouldn’t lock, he was again standing … Read the Rest

Posted in Total Knee Rep

New Medicare rules for hip, knee replacements take effect in Collier FL

By

Read Complete Article Here

…After a year of wrangling between the federal government and hospital leaders nationwide, a new rule took effect April 1 that retools Medicare payments for hip and knee replacements…

…Collier County is one of 67 regions nationwide where the new rule applies…

…Patients with medical conditions — heart disease, obesity, diabetes, lung ailments and the like — might be hard pressed to find an orthopedic surgeon willing to perform the joint replacement because hospitals face financial incentives to avoid patients with high risks of complications, according to physician leaders with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons…

…The rule aims to control costs on the $7 billion Medicare spends for hospital care alone for the 400,000 beneficiaries who receive hip or knee replacements each year, according to CMS.… Read the Rest