New Knee Replacement Surgery Now Done as Outpatient

SAN FRANCISCO -- Beverly Enderlein is the first patient in the United States to have undergone a new type of knee replacement surgery on a purely outpatient basis, and she was able to walk out of the surgery center about an hour after awakening. Dr. Eugene M. Wolf performed the surgery at PacificHeightsSurgeryCenter on April 2, 2007.

"Developed in England, the Oxford knee replacement system is an exciting alternative for patients who would normally be hospitalized and undergo a total knee replacement,” said Wolf, the only surgeon in San Francisco certified to implant the Oxford knee. “The recovery is dramatically different and the follow-up data from Europe suggest that this prosthesis has better results, and fewer complications than other knee replacement systems (unicompartmental or total). Up to 40 percent of the 500,000 patients that now

undergo total knee arthroplasty in the U.S. could benefit from this new knee prosthesis now done on an outpatient basis. While this new system of knee replacement has been available in Europe for a decade, this unicompartmental knee was approved by the FDA just over a year ago.”

"I feel wonderful,” commented Enderlein. “The arthritis pain I had for years was gone as soon as I woke up. I was able to walk out of the surgery center an hour after the surgery. I have been walking without pain ever since, and can't wait to resume hiking in a few weeks.”

Unlike total knee surgery that replaces all the knee joint surfaces, the Oxford knee resurfaces only the most severely affected part of the knee. Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs predominantly in the medial compartment, as this side of the knee bears most of the weight. Unlike total knees, the unicompartmental approach restores the most arthritic compartment and keeps the rest of the knee intact. By retaining all the normal knee ligaments and other joint surfaces, the knee regains normal motion and function.

In a healthy knee, the meniscal cartilage serves as a shock absorber between the ends of the bones. The Oxford Knee is the first knee implant with a completely mobile meniscal bearing insert, designed to glide freely throughout the knee's range of motion to more closely replicate normal knee mechanics. The ingenious instrumentation allows the surgeon to place the mobile prosthesis in perfect balance. The mobility and balance of the Oxford knee is unique and protects the knee from the breakdown and loosening seen in other knee replacements, total or partial.

"We are very pleased that Dr. Wolf was able to perform this procedure on an outpatient basis at the Pacific Heights Surgery Center,” said Dave Odell, president of MedBridge Development and Pacific Heights Surgery Center. “We are proud to be leaders in this new outpatient direction of knee replacement surgery. Our focus on orthopedics, our highly trained staff, and state-of-the-art equipment allow our surgeons to make progress in this exciting new area.”

There are 26 million Americans who are affected by osteoarthritis according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Annually there are 500,000 total knee replacement surgeries performed in the United States. Wolf believes that as many as 40 percent of those total knee patients might now benefit from this new less invasive knee replacement surgery. "When I asked patients who had recently undergone the Oxford knee replacement, and who had had the experience of a total knee, or even a unicompartmental arthroplasty on the other knee to compare the surgeries, their response was: 'There is simply no comparison ... There was no pain or swelling, immediate relief of the arthritis pain, and no stiffness.' Not only is the post-operative recovery dramatically better, but the long term results are improved due to the virtual absence of wear of the polyethylene implant. This reduces the likelihood of more complicated revision surgeries in the future," Wolf explained.

Wolf is a graduate of University of Bordeaux School of Medicine in France and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the National Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital in Arlington, Va. He is recognized for his pioneering work in the development of minimally invasive arthroscopic surgical techniques for the knee and shoulder. He is an active contributor in the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the AmericanAcademy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and a Master Instructor in Arthroscopic Surgery at the AmericanAcademy's Orthopedic LearningCenter. Wolf also serves as the Director of the St. Mary's MedicalCenter's Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship Program in San Francisco. He is also co-chairman of the annual Shoulder Surgery Controversies Meeting in Newport Beach, Calif. Pacific Heights Surgery Center is a single specialty, state-of-the art, orthopedic, outpatient surgical facility.

Source: MedBridge Development

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