Recent Advancements in Joint Replacement Surgeries
Hip and knee replacement surgeries are some of the most common surgeries among elderly adults. After joint replacement surgery, you are at an increased risk of a fall and injury as you are not very mobile or agile.
It’s very likely that you will need to have a family member stay with you while you recover so that you can get the support you need with meal planning, grocery shopping, housework, mobility, and medication management.
You can also hire an in-home care aide to provide joint replacement care in the comfort of your own home. Recent advancements in joint replacement surgeries have resulted in faster recovery times and better patient outcomes, but you will still need to plan for a lengthy recovery period.
Robotic Joint Replacement
Surgeons are now using robotic arms to assist with complex, lengthy, and delicate surgeries. These robotic surgical arms improve the precision and flexibility of joint replacement surgeries. They can be programmed to carry out each step of the surgical plan precisely and meticulously.
Before surgery begins, the surgeon or a member of their team will place medical devices called arrays around the knee or hip. These devices communicate with the robotic arms and convey position, location, and orientation information.
The surgeon and their team can make real-time adjustments and changes to their plan that will recalibrate the computer program and change the alignment or position of the robotic arm. Once the artificial joints are in place, the computer creates 3D images of the implants and their positions so that the surgeon and their team can affirm the stability and alignment of the joints before the surgery is complete.
Computer-Assisted Modeling
Computer-assisted modeling allows your surgeon to create a detailed 3D model of your joint before surgery. This model is used to plan the surgery and throughout the joint replacement surgery to ensure proper placement of the implant.
Using computer navigation and computer-assisted modeling will improve precision and alignment during surgery and increase the stability of the joint post-surgery.
Advances in Imaging Services
Huge advancements have been made in imaging services over the past two decades. Your surgeon will use x-ray and MRI images to plan your surgery, but they also now have access to 3D motion capture technology.
This technology utilizes multiple cameras to evaluate your motion in real time. It offers enhanced views of the joint for pre-planning and can be used during the surgery as well. After your surgery is complete, your surgeon and their team may use fluoroscopy to assess the biomechanical performance of your joint implant.
This will evaluate how natural the movement of the joint is. The technique can also be used to assess healing and recovery.
Augmented Reality Technology
Augmented reality-assisted surgeries have only been in use since 2021. The technique uses a variation of computer navigation. Your surgeon will wear augmented reality or smart glasses that let them see the structures of your joint, knee, or hip and track the progress of the surgery in real time.
They superimpose images over the surgical field so the surgeon doesn’t need to move their head to look at a computer monitor. Using AR technology can improve precision and reduce surgery times.
3D Printing Technology
3D printing technology allows surgical teams to create an implant that has the best chance of functioning for the rest of the patient’s life. This technology makes it easier to customize implants to work with each patient’s specific anatomy.
This reduces future wear and tear on the implant, improves comfort, and can reduce the need for bone cement. A custom implant can also offer a better chance of the patient’s natural bone growing into the implant, which reduces the risk of implant failure.
Smart Implants
Smart implants and wearable technology offer crucial real-time information to doctors, surgical teams, and physical therapists. An implant can be fitted with a smart sensor, which monitors, measures, and evaluates the patient’s movements post-surgery.
The information is transmitted to the patient’s medical team so that they can monitor progress and address problems immediately. These sensors can also help physical therapists adjust their plans to meet the patient’s needs as they recover.
Improved Pain Management Techniques
Advances in medicine have also improved pain management techniques post-joint replacement surgery. Your surgical team can now offer nerve block injections post-surgery, which offer around 24-36 hours of pain relief.
Throughout your recovery, you may also be eligible for nerve pain medication, additional nerve block injections, and antidepressants, which speed up the recovery time by reducing pain. By reducing the need for narcotics, you can have a stronger and more successful recovery.
Improved Data Collection and Analysis
Surgical teams now take more proactive measures toward data collection and analysis before, during, and after surgery. From your first x-ray, your team is collecting crucial data that will be used to improve your surgical plan and recovery.
Data may be collected from medical imaging, physical therapy, or gait simulation. It allows your surgical team to better understand your anatomy, lifestyle, and habits so that they can assess the probable outcome of different surgical approaches.
The data collected can also help your team determine the efficacy of new technologies and procedures so that they can be finessed and fine-tuned in the future.
Improved Post-Surgery Care
Your post-surgery care is crucial for ensuring the success of your implant. If you don’t have support and resources at home, you may miss physical therapy appointments and become too immobile to successfully recover.
Immobility is particularly dangerous to your recovery, as it could result in permanent inflammation, pain, stiffness, and loss of function. Being immobile after a joint replacement surgery can also increase your risk of a blood clot, infection, heart attack, or stroke.
If you don’t have friends or family who can assist you with post-surgery recovery, you can now hire an experienced in-home care team that specializes in joint replacement care.
This team will create a schedule of care so that you can recover in your own home with the assistance of professionals who will assist with mobility, toileting, bathing, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping, grocery shopping, transportation to physical therapy and medical appointments, and medication management.
Your chances of a successful post-surgery recovery will increase significantly with in-home care and assistance.
Schedule a Consultation for Joint Replacement Care in Southern Arizona
At Placita In Home Care, we offer flexible, customizable in-home care services throughout Tucson and the Phoenix metro area. Our team specializes in joint replacement care services offered in the comfort of your own home.
Our services can be temporary, one-time, or ongoing, depending on your needs. Our joint replacement care services include transportation to medical appointments, mobility assistance, and in-home care that includes light housekeeping and meal preparation, as well as assistance with self-care tasks, medication management, and safety assistance.
If your home is not a suitable place for recovery post-surgery, we also offer assistance with placement in an assisted living joint replacement care facility. To schedule a consultation for joint replacement care in the Tucson or Phoenix metro area, call us today or fill out our contact form online.