Spine and Joint Surgery Center

The Spine and Joint Surgery Center is here to help restore individuals to a higher quality of living through joint replacement surgery.

Annually, more than 500,000 people undergo total joint replacement surgery. Potential candidates are individuals with chronic joint pain from arthritis that interferes with daily activities such as walking, exercise, leisure, recreation and work. 

Joint replacement surgery aims to relieve pain, restore independence and assist the individual in returning to work and other activities. 

The Spine and Joint Surgery Center offers 

• Total joint replacements for knees, hips and shoulders
• Revision surgery for previously implanted or worn out knee or hip prosthesis
• The latest innovations in material and design including Oxinium and ceramics
• Total hip and total knee replacement pre-surgery education programs to inform patients  about what to expect after surgery

FMC's Spine and Joint Surgery Center is very unique. The center is a dedicated unit within the hospital. Patients have surgery on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday and return home after a three-night stay in the hospital. 

The Spine and Joint Surgery Center has implemented a comprehensive planned course of treatment. We believe the patient plays a key role in promoting a successful recovery. Our goal is to involve each patient in each step of the program.

The new center emphasizes a healthy outlook throughout the entire surgical experience:
The healthcare team at FMC does not consider joint replacement patients as sick; rather, the patient has had a procedure to help return them to a more active lifestyle.

The healthcare team includes physicians, physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, patient care and orthopedic technicians - all specializing in total joint care. Every detail, from pre-operative education to post-operative exercise, is considered and reviewed with the patient. Individual treatment programs are planned by a joint care coordinator who guides the patient through the program.

The patient’s family member or “coach” is present throughout the patient's hospital stay and helps motivate for a faster recovery. As part of our program, patients are able to share their recovery experience with others who are undergoing the same life-changing event.

Program Features

• Nurses, therapists and technicians who specialize in the care of joint patients
• Private and recently renovated rooms
• Emphasis on group activities as well as individual care
• Group lunches with your coach and staff on Wednesday and Thursday
• Family and friends educated to participate as “coaches” in the recovery process
• A joint care coordinator who coordinates all pre-operative care and discharge planning
• A comprehensive patient guide to follow from six weeks pre-op until three months post-op and beyond
• Coordinated after-care program
• Quarterly luncheons for former patients and coaches
• Newsletters with new information about arthritis and joint care
• Annual reunions
• Public education seminars about hip and knee pain

Working to Minimize Infections

FMC is committed to keeping our surgical infection rates at or below national averages. To help meet this goal, the Spine and Joint Surgery Center is a “clean unit.” This means patients who have an infection cannot be on the unit. Additonally, all team members are trained to do their part in reducing the rate of infection.