03/25/2019
Northwestern Medicine - Kishwaukee Joint Center Earns Gold Seal of Approval for Second Time
Hip Surgery Helps Local Man Get Back to What He Loves
A Sycamore youth sports official is ready to take the field following hip surgery.
With the baseball season rapidly approaching, Sycamore Pony League Commissioner Dan Pritchard is eager to get back on the field and test out his new hip. A lifetime of playing, coaching and officiating sports took a toll on Pritchard’s right hip, causing pain with every step. After conservative treatments failed, Pritchard sought a solution that could get him back on the field as soon as possible.
“I can’t get it out of my blood. I love to be out there,” says Pritchard.
Shortly after football season ended, Pritchard underwent hip replacement surgery at the Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Joint Center. Medical Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon Rajeev Jain, MD, performed the procedure using an anterior approach: a muscle-sparing technique that had Pritchard up and walking the same day as surgery, and back home in less than 24 hours.
“The anterior approach allows us to do the surgery through a smaller incision in the front of the hip rather than the side or back,” says Dr. Jain. “With this technique, we can avoid cutting muscles. Patients have a faster and less painful recovery. Some can be discharged home the same day.”
During the surgery, Dr. Jain navigates specialized instruments between the muscles to remove the diseased hip and socket. He places a titanium stem into the thigh bone, and attaches a metal or ceramic ball to form the first half of the new hip joint. The pelvis section is reshaped with a titanium cup to create a new socket. Using X-ray guidance, in real time, Dr. Jain can ensure the artificial hip components are properly aligned to restore movement with minimal friction.
“It was a great experience,” says Pritchard. “With less pain, I was able to do everything my physical therapist told me to and get back on my feet faster with no limitations. Now I can focus on getting my knees back in shape too!”
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital recently achieved, for the second time, The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The advanced certification is for The Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers seeking to elevate the quality, consistency and safety of their services and patient care.
“In 2016, Kishwaukee Hospital was the first hospital in Illinois to achieve Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Knee Replacement. As we prepared for recertification, we challenged ourselves to continuous improvement with a focus on best practices and excellent outcomes,” says Dave Smith, DC, PT, joint care coordinator at Kishwaukee Hospital. “Our team of highly trained experts guides our patients both pre- and post-operation to ensure they have the best possible experience.”
Kishwaukee Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review in December 2018. The Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with advanced disease-specific care standards and total hip and total knee replacement requirements, including orthopaedic consultation, and pre-operative, intraoperative and post-surgical orthopaedic surgeon follow-up care.
