Quad City patients can now undergo total joint surgery that gets them walking within hours of surgery and back home for recovery within 24 hours without a hospital stay – a cost-effective alternative addressing the future of health care as concerns over rising health care costs continues. (For a real-life example, read about Moliner Beth Saranglao and her experience.)
Davenport-based Orthopaedic Specialist Dr. John Hoffman, a fellowship-trained 20-year veteran who performs approximately 600 minimally-invasive total joint operations a year, says revolutionary improvements in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and joint technology are saving patients money and allowing them to return to their active lives much faster. It’s also a procedure expected to grow as the population ages.
“Joint replacements five years ago required a major incision (8-12 inches vs. 4 inches today), long-acting anesthetic and extended convalescence. Medical innovation now allows doctors to perform them safely and effectively so that patients recover at home and get back to life quicker,” explains Dr. Hoffman.
Better techniques lead to faster recovery and less need for hospitalization. “We employ new surgical techniques that spare patients’ muscle tissue,” explains Dr. Hoffman. “We have also fine-tuned regional anesthetic and pain management protocols. These factors allow most patients to be walking within hours of the procedure and home for recovery,” he adds. Dr. Hoffman has fined tuned his technique under the guidance of Richard Berger, M.D., a pioneer of minimally invasive hip and knee replacements practicing at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago.
“This is the future of healthcare,” says Dr. John Dooley, administrator, Mississippi Valley Surgery Center (MVSC). “Any time we can improve surgeries so that patients can recover safely at home is a step forward. Patients do not have to put off the surgery because they fear a costly, invasive surgery and a lengthy recovery. Our community is fortunate to have access to this level of care.”
Additionally, most major insurers cover this procedure in the outpatient setting. The Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is the only Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) in Iowa that performs total joint replacements in an outpatient setting. ASCs traditionally are more cost effective than hospitals. For example, based on Iowa Hospital Association data, charges at local Quad City hospitals for total knee replacement surgeries range from $26,000 to $38,000. The average charge for knee replacement surgery at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is $17,500, which is significantly lower than the hospitals.
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Average Cost and Average Length of Stay |
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Procedure |
Mississippi Valley Surgery Center | Genesis Medical Cntr – Davenport | Trinity – Bettendorf | All Iowa Hospitals |
| Total Hip Replacement | $ 28,000 (< 24 hrs) |
$ 41,714 (3.6 days) |
$ 27,909 (2.2 days) |
$ 39,150 (4.1 days) |
| Total Knee Replacement | $ 17,495 (< 24 hrs) |
$ 38,535 (3.6 days) |
$ 26,581 (1.8 days) |
$ 36,216 (3.4 days) |
(Note: comparative data obtained from the Iowa Hospital Association’s PricePoint System – www.iapricepoint.org)
“Insurers are beginning to see the benefit of performing this procedure in the outpatient setting from both a quality and cost perspective,” adds Dr. Dooley. “The cost of health care is on the forefront of everyone’s mind as health care reform takes effect. This is just one example of how Quad Cities healthcare providers are making quality healthcare more convenient and cost effective. Patients need to start asking their physicians about more cost-effective options for their healthcare.”
