Orthopedics is the branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and correction of disorders, injuries and diseases of the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and related tissues.

Deaconess Medical Center's orthopedics department includes expert staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques.

Whether it's a broken leg, carpal tunnel problems, a torn ligament or spine damage from osteoporosis, our goal at Deaconess Medical Center is to get people moving again through an integrated course of treatment that may include surgery, non-surgical procedures, and physical and occupational therapy.

Here's a sampling of Deaconess Medical Center’s orthopedic specialties:

Arthroscopy
In this minimally invasive procedure, our surgeons diagnose and treat joint conditions by inserting small, fiber-optic instruments through a tiny incision.

Articular Knee Cartilage Repair
Surgeons remove a sample of the patient's healthy knee cartilage using arthroscopy. The cells are cultivated in the laboratory and later implanted to replace damaged knee cartilage.

Back & Neck Surgery
Using the latest techniques, our orthopedic back specialist can remove damaged disks, fuse vertebrae to stabilize a weak back, treat scoliosis, and perform other types of corrective, pain-relieving back and neck surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Foot Surgery
Orthopedic specialists commonly perform bunion removal, bone fusion, and bone spur removal.

Hand Surgery
Orthopedic surgeons specializing in hand surgery repair bone, muscle, tendon, and nerve damage suffered in injuries and overuse injuries, such as carpal tunnel.

Ligament Repair & Replacement
Our orthopedic specialists do knee and ankle ligament repair and reconstructive surgery.

Tendon Repair
Our surgeons repair torn and damaged ligaments and tendons, including those in hands, back, shoulders, knees and legs.

Total Joint Replacement
Great advancements have been made in orthopedic research and clinical outcomes. People with chronic knee, hip or shoulder pain have the option of replacing painful joints with artificial joint implants. With the reduction or alleviation of the pain, patients return to their optimal functioning potential.

The program offers pre and post-surgical services designed to create a seamless patient experience.

Pre-surgical educational classes are offered and led by physical therapists and nurses.

• Baseline assessments including walking ability, and strength
• Diagrammed exercise instruction for pre and post surgical exercises

Following joint replacement surgery, patients work with physical or occupational therapists when referred by the physician. Post-surgical intervention includes a reassessment of the current status, review and progression of home exercises, and functional movement activities.

The Deaconess Medical Center Total Joint Program includes an expert staff, state-of-the-art facilities and technology, and advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques.

Nursing

Our team includes RNs, LPNs, PCAs and unit secretaries. Our nursing team is proud of the 328 combined years of experience. Most of our nurses have been a part of the team for over 15 years. Our nurses are caring and committed to the patients they serve.

Every nurse is specially trained to individualize the care they provide to meet their patients' needs. All of our nurses receive ongoing training in pain control management, continuous training in new technical advances in equipment and training in customer satisfaction to provide the best care available in the region. One third of our RNs are Orthopaedic Nurse Certified and are members of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses and attend conferences throughout the nation to bring the best strategies of nursing care to our unit.

Our nursing staff work closely with physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dieticians and social services to create a multi-disciplinary team of experts that are capable of meeting the needs of all types of patients. 80% of our rooms are private with cable television and direct phone lines. Our postoperative care includes pulse oximetry, doppler ultrasound, bladder scanning and Patient Controlled Analgesia or PCA pumps. Our staff is committed to excellence and our mission statement reflects our commitment.

Mission Statement
Our ortho unit strives to provide a quality of care that we proudly compare to other centers of excellence. We achieve our goals by staying current in skills, technology, continuing education and updating, as new medications become available. Our number one goal is to restore function and comfort to the highest degree attainable through the combined efforts of our healthcare team and by utilizing all community resources. We strive to provide a comfortable positive hospital stay, a clean and safe environment and a knowledgeable and caring staff for all our patients.

Social Work Services

Our social work department is committed to placing those patients with special needs into rehabilitation centers or assessing to provide comprehensive home support. The social service department works closely with patients and family members to provide a comprehensive and complete referral. All of our social worker staff have completed a Master's Degree in social education and many have gone on to attain the status of LICSW or Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work. Our social workers are available to offer support to families and patients during hospitalization.

Social Workers often assist patients and their family members with resources in the community such as meals on wheels, housing, home care and transportation as examples. Social Workers are familiar with many financial and insurance options for patients. We have social workers located on the units for patient convenience.

Nutritional Services