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Hip and knee replacement
surgery has propelled Washington County hospitals to the pre-eminent ranks of orthopedic
clinics
By Christine Evans
It’s hard to tell what excites
Charlene Davis and Bob Jordan
more about their recent knee
replacement surgeries: the fact
that they are now experiencing less pain
or that their surgery was performed by
Thomas Mutschler, M.D.
Dr. Mutschler has been operating
the Mutschler Orthopaedic Institute at
Canonsburg General Hospital for a year
and has a dedicated following. “He’s
thorough, kind and explains everything
that’s going to happen,” says Mr. Jordan,
75, of Eighty-Four, PA. “You can
put your faith in him as a surgeon and
as a person.”
Ms. Davis, of Canonsburg, had her
left knee replaced in mid-February and
has been one of Dr. Mutschler’s frequent
patients, having her right knee and both
hips replaced over the last few years.
“He’s an excellent surgeon,” says the 64-
year-old retired nursing assistant. “He’s
very professional, but also friendly and
down-to-earth.”
Dr. Mutschler says more than a
million-and-a-half Americans had joint
replacement surgery last year, a number
that has doubled from a decade ago.
“We’re seeing more and more baby
boomers that are beginning to have joint
problems but still want to remain active,” he notes. “They aren’t like their parents who were content sitting around
in an easy chair all day. They don’t want
to be slowed down.”
More than 450 hip and knee
replacement procedures were performed
at the Mutschler Orthopaedic Institute
last year and while Dr. Mutschler says
the average age of a joint replacement
patient is between 65 and 75 years, he’s
increasingly seeing more patients in their
’50s and early ’60s.
“In the past, we used to tell people
to wait until they turned 65 to start
thinking about joint replacement
surgery,” he says. “But a 50-year-old
patient who has quality-of-life issues
because of the pain and decreased
mobility is not going to want to wait.”
At The Washington Hospital’s Joint
Center, surgeons are also beginning to
see more patients in their ’50s and early
’60s, says Sandra Hlipala, R.N.C.,
M.S.N., director of Ortho-Neuro
Services.
“People aren’t accepting a lower
standard of life,” she says. “They aren’t
willing to live with the pain or
restrictions that an arthritic hip or knee
can cause.”
The orthopedic surgeons at The
Washington Hospital performed 444 hip
and knee replacement procedures last
year. Increasingly, patients who are in
the early stages of osteoarthritis are
opting for partial knee replacements.
The majority of patients who receive
hip or knee replacements suffer from
osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
While patients do not need a referral
from their primary care physician to see
an orthopedic surgeon, Canonsburg
Hospital’s Dr. Mutschler says the PCP
must give clearance for the patient to
have surgery.
“Ideally, patients need to have good
cardiac and pulmonary functioning,
shouldn’t be overweight or a smoker,
and should not have any neuromuscular
weaknesses that can’t be overcome,”
he says.
Dr. Mutschler says joint replacement
surgery is usually the last resort for most
patients. Conservative methods, such as
cortisone and other injections, physical
therapy, or weight-loss strategies are
often tried first. “The surgical options
are the best when nothing else works for
the patient,” he says.
The Mutschler Orthopaedic
Institute is located in modern, newly
renovated offices on the first floor of
Canonsburg General Hospital and was
Although he only had his left knee
replaced in November 2007, Mr. Jordan
stayed in the Rehabilitation Unit for a
week because he lives alone. Mr. Jordan
is also a long-time volunteer on the
Rehabilitation Unit.
“Now when I talk to patients, I can
really encourage them because I’ve been
there too,” he says.
After discharge, Dr. Mutschler says
that he imposes virtually no restrictions
on a patient’s activity, although he does
discourage patients from participating
in high-impact sports such as marathon
running.
Ms. Davis left the hospital on a
Thursday without the use of a cane or a
walker and was able to attend church
services three days later.
Dr. Mutschler is board certified in
orthopedic surgery. A native of the
South Hills, he earned a B.S. and
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering
from Carnegie-Mellon University.
“I worked in engineering for a while
and realized that’s not what I wanted
to do with the rest of my life,” he says.
He then went to the University of
Pittsburgh Medical School and earned
his M.D. in orthopedics. He has
practiced orthopedics in the South Hills
area for more than 15 years.
All patients who are scheduled for
or thinking about joint replacement
surgery are encouraged to attend an
educational session led by Maryann
Orlando, R.N., the Mutschler
Orthopaedic Institute’s patient
educator. The class provides patients
and their families with information
about osteoarthritis, an explanation of
joint replacement surgery, and details
of pre-operative, operative and postoperative
care.
The Mutschler Orthopedic
Institute is open Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and
appointments can be made by calling
724.873.5955 or 1.888.877.5855.
The public is invited to attend the
first anniversary celebration of the
Mutschler Orthopedic Institute on
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 from 2 to 5
p.m. Participants can meet Dr.
Mutschler and the staff, tour the offices,
enjoy refreshments and ask questions.
The Washington Hospital
The Washington Hospital’s Ms. Hlipala
says partial knee replacement is
minimally invasive surgery that replaces
one the knee’s three parts: the
thighbone, the shinbone or the kneecap.
designed to be “patient-friendly.”
For example, the exam tables can be
programmed so that patients can access
it from several positions. So a patient
who may have trouble climbing up on a
traditional exam table can sit first and
the table will move into the prone
position.
A digital imaging (x-ray) machine is
located in the Mutschler Orthopaedic
Institute so that patients don’t have to
travel throughout the hospital. Also,
because the images are available
instantaneously, waiting time is greatly
reduced.
“The whole office was designed
with the orthopedic patient in mind,”
says Dr. Mutschler, who can see up to
60 patients a day. “Because the office is
located right in the hospital, I think
we’re providing better patient care in a
more efficient manner. I can see postsurgical
patients at any time during the
day and I don’t waste time driving
between the hospital and an office.”
Most patients who have a single
knee or a hip replaced spend three days
in the hospital’s 2 South Unit prior to
being discharged. All rooms are private,
have plasma screen TVs, Wi-Fi services
and will soon be equipped with DVD
players. Family members are encouraged
to be active participants during the
patient’s hospital stay and the hospital
offers meal service and a lounging chair
for them.
Patients who have bilateral knee
surgery (both knees replaced during
the same surgery) spend three days in
2 South and then stay an additional
7-10 days in the Inpatient
Rehabilitation Unit for intensive
physical and occupational therapy.
The procedure resurfaces only the
damaged cartilage of the knee and
preserves the undamaged cartilage.
“Patients who undergo a partial
knee replacement have fewer side
effects, a shorter recovery period, and
the artificial joint functions more
naturally,” she says.
Like Canonsburg Hospital, all
patients who are scheduled for a joint
replacement procedure are required to
attend a class prior to the surgery. “In
program. Main Street simulates actual
living situations that joint replacement
patients will have to face during their
recovery period.
For example, there’s a mini-grocery
store where patients can practice lifting
groceries, a real Ford sedan that they
can practice getting in and out of, and
a full-size apartment with an equipped
kitchen, living room, bedroom and
bathroom.
The Washington Hospital’s Joint
Center has recently received national
recognition for its overall orthopedic
surgery and for joint replacement.
According to the 10th Annual
HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America
Study, which compared discharges of
Medicare patients among 5,000 U.S.
hospitals between 2004 and 2006, The
Washington Hospital received top
ratings in orthopedic surgery, joint
replacement, total knee replacement,
total hip replacement and hip fracture
repair. HealthGrades is a national
health care ratings company.
The hospital was also ranked among
the top three in Pennsylvania for overall
orthopedic services and among the top
10 in the state for joint replacement.
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