Starting in August 2017, they have completed their first hip replacements. Orthopedic surgeon Brian McGrath, MD, performed the first case Aug. 25, with the surgeon doing an additional six in a nearly two-month span at the surgery center, which is a joint venture between Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health and 16 physician owners.
To ensure a speedy and successful recovery, Dr. McGrath utilizes an anterior approach for the hip procedures. Having motivated patients dedicated to their recovery is also integral to the total joints program, according to Mary Rose Graham, BSN, MSN, director of Southtowns Surgery Center. The ASC has a physical therapist who assesses a patient on the day of surgery. Southtowns Surgery Center also works with the Visiting Nurses Association for a nurse to see a patient on the day of surgery at home.
“The nurses practically meet the patient at their door,” Ms. Graham says of the recovery process. Moving forward, the ASC is adding another orthopedic surgeon in January 2018 and is eyeing total knees.
“It is something we are discussing, and it will probably be something we do in the second quarter of next year,” Ms. Graham says. “Right now, our main focus is hips.”
The ASC also has plans to add lithotripsy, a non-invasive technique to treat stones in the kidney and ureter. Kaleida Health filed the certificate of need to add the procedure nearly two weeks ago.
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