Dr. Charles A. Hope II
Hip & Knee Surgeon
Hip & Knee Surgeon
You'll need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.
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Before surgery, your doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don't have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.
Here are some important tips:
Between 15 and 20 hip or knee replacements a week, about 50 weeks a year. That's between 600 and 700 joint replacements a year. Dr. Hope has performed over 3000 minimally invasive computer-assisted total knee replacements, over 300 MAKO Total Knee Replacements, and over 2000 minimally invasive anterior approach hip replacements.
Back To QuestionsTo achieve optimal body weight through diet and exercise. Obesity predisposes to arthritis and lowers the chance of successful non-operative and operative treatment of the disease.
Back To QuestionsThe surgeon has the main impact on the success of the surgery, but the patient has the main impact on the success of the recovery. An educated, committed, determined patient optimizes the results of his or her treatment. Learn about your disease process and its treatment. Enlist your friends and family in your recovery team. Enhance your health status by controlling your weight while ensuring adequate nutrition, maintaining your strength and flexibility, and optimizing treatment of chronic medical conditions. Prepare and plan for a superior outcome.
Back To QuestionsGetting a full range of motion, strength and flexibility back after surgery usually takes time. That's where pre-operative exercise and education and post-operative physical therapy programs come in - to ensure you're physically and emotionally prepared for surgery and to maximize your recovery after surgery.
Back To QuestionsActivities like walking, cycling, swimming, golfing, or playing doubles tennis are reasonable. We discourage impact-loading activities such as jumping or martial arts. A large percentage of patients find that they have good pain relief, good function, and good durability ten years after surgery.
The younger a patient is, the more seriously you have to consider non-operative treatment, such as anti-inflammatory medication or activity modification.
Back To QuestionsOur practice hours are:
Appointments can be made by telephoning our practice at (912) 651-8806.
Back To QuestionsHere are some things to remember:
The goals of Total Knee Replacement are to provide pain relief and restore function. Correction of deformity and balancing the soft tissue envelope are crucial to optimizing the performance and durability of the knee replacement. Standard surgical instrumentation uses either metal rods inserted up the thigh bone and down the shin bone or metal clamps that attach to the outside of the leg. Slotted metal blocks are coupled to the rods and guide the saw blade. Variations in diameter and curvature of the bones as well as the thickness of the soft tissues make these guides less accurate. Most studies show conventional guides will result in getting the knee to within 5 degrees of straight 70% of the time.
Computer navigation replaces the rod and clamps with infra-red cameras and instruments that are used to assess the deformity and guide placement of the slotted blocks which control the saw cuts. Additionally it allows the surgeon to check the cuts for accuracy. Studies have shown this results in getting the knee within 3 degrees of straight 94% of the time.
The Mako Robotic Arm Assisted Technique combines a preoperative CT scan with intraoperative navigation and saw blade control. The CT scan predicts the deformity and creates safe zones for the saw. Intraoperative navigation allows dynamic assessment of soft tissue balance and subsequent fine tuning of the surgical plan such that the tissues are balanced predominantly through subtle changes in the bone cuts rather than cutting or stretching the tight ligaments. The result is a better balanced knee replacement with less pain and swelling which speeds recovery.
Back To QuestionsHip and knee replacements are complex surgeries which are typically successful in providing pain relief and restoring function. My goal is to stack the deck in favor of every patient having an optimal outcome. Attention to detail and bringing the best team to the operation is paramount. The patient is an integral part of the team and we want you in the best shape possible.
Avoiding or decreasing tobacco and nicotine improves wound healing and decreases infection.
Obesity increases the risk of getting arthritis, increases the risk of perioperative complications and decreases the durability and function of the joint replacement. Any amount of safe weight loss will make the surgery easier on me and the recovery easier on you. Water walking is an ideal way to improve strength and endurance while promoting weight loss with exercise well tolerated by arthritic joints.
Correction of preoperative anemia through iron supplements (or infusions if necessary) and special medications decrease the risks of blood transfusion, infection, and medical complications while promoting postoperative energy and vigor.
Vitamin supplements improve wound healing (Vit C), facilitate bone health and strength (Vit D) and decrease anemia (Vit B12).
Preoperative education allays fears, minimizes confusion and empowers patients to control their recovery.
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