Total Joint Replacement Program: Empowering Patients

Residents of the Philadelphia region who have been suffering in silence with painful, aching knees and hips: there is a solution that can return you to the pain-free, active lifestyle you once enjoyed. Discover the Total Joint Replacement Program!

Joint replacement surgery has been a specialty at the Orthopedic Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital for more than 30 years. “Now,” says Dr. Robert Good, MD, the Hospital’s chief of orthopedics, “a focus on patient education, group therapy, family involvement, and patient amenities has made a superior clinical program even better.”

We provide a free class for those interested in learning about hip and knee pain. 

Click here for information and registration regarding Hip and Knee Pain classes

Wellness Approach
Before receiving a joint replacement, patients attend a class that is held weekly so they know what will happen before and after surgery. During this planning stage, patients receive a day-by-day guide of preoperative exercises and instructions, what to expect in the hospital, discharge instructions, and postoperative exercises. 

Pre-op class information

"Education, motivation and determination are the keys to success.  We provide education and encouragement to empower our patients." says Sharon Register, RN, BSN manager of the Total Joint Replacement Program.

In the hospital, patients wear their own comfortable clothes. They stay in private rooms on a dedicated orthopedic unit, staffed by specially trained orthopedic nurses and physical and occupational therapists.

Most surgeries are performed early in the week. This results in a similar recovery schedule for a group of patients, creating a more supportive environment.

Patients begin rehabilitation right away, performing ankle pumps almost immediately after surgery. The next day, group therapy begins.

Accompanied by their coaches -- usually family members who are trained as part of the program -- the patients in the group support and encourage each other, often developing a camaraderie that lasts long after their recovery.

Exceptional Outcomes
Each year, thousands of people in the Philadelphia region and across the United States undergo total joint replacements to reclaim the quality of life they lost to arthritis or old injuries. At Bryn Mawr Hospital, patients walk farther and faster days after surgery.

Prior to the program’s implementation in 2002, most patients walked about 50 feet three days after surgery. Now, patients are able to walk more than 250 feet three days after surgery, they are out of bed sooner and we are finding that patients are better prepared overall for the remainder of their rehab and return home.  For patients who need it, however, a few days additional stay in an inpatient rehab facilitiy may be needed to insure a smooth return to home. An affiliation with Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital and the Wayne Center can provide a smooth transition to additional physical therapy services. From the doctor’s office to the hospital to rehabilitation, the Total Joint Replacement Program provides a seamless experience.

“Patients feel that everyone on the team—including their coaches, the staff, and the other patients—is pursuing the same goal,” says Joseph V. Vernace, MD, orthopedist. “It’s truly an inspirational environment.”

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