Joint Replacement Surgery

with Dr. Bowers & Dr. Nguyen

Our physicians make every effort to manage patients’ arthritis symptoms with conservative measures. If all else fails, the decision to pursue joint replacement surgery is a major commitment to achieving a better quality of life. When the need for surgery arises, our team offers top notch professionals with surgical skill honed at the fellowship level and beyond for replacement of the shoulder, hip, and knee. We additionally welcome second opinions or evaluation for revision surgeries.
Doctor stretching out patient's leg

Surgeries

Preparation for a replacement surgery involves a team approach led by our surgical coordinator. We will work with your primary care physician, dentist and/or cardiologist to make sure your medical status is optimized prior to surgery. Certain testing (lab work, EKG, CT scans) may need to be completed in advance of the surgery. Our surgery coordinators will help guide you through the preoperative testing and appointments necessary to ensure your safety by the day of surgery.

Computer templating, 3D rendering, and the need for patient-specific instruments or implants are determined in advance by your surgeon. The surgery is performed by either Dr. Bowers (shoulders) or Dr. Nguyen (hips or knees) with one of our physician assistants, each of whom have greater than 15 years experience. There are NO students or trainees allowed to “practice” on OUR patients.

Joint replacement surgeries are performed at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mt. Holly, NJ. Same-day surgery is offered to appropriate candidates. The vast majority of our patients are discharged home within 23 hours of surgery. Physical therapy is a critical part of your recovery. In many cases you will start physical therapy the SAME DAY as your surgery and continue for several weeks or months thereafter. Our doctors can help you identify the appropriate facility and therapist for you. Home therapy and nursing are arranged for those who need it.

Our goal is to keep you as comfortable as possible during the surgery and recovery. This includes a careful approach with “multimodal” pain management. In many cases, a nerve block may be offered to provide local control of pain and minimize or eliminate the need for narcotic pain medicine. Smaller doses of different categories of medications (anti-inflammatories, nerve stabilizers, muscle relaxants, etc.) are used in combination to avoid large doses of narcotics and their unwanted side effects (nausea, constipation, dependance). Medications are weaned as soon as possible so that you can get back to feeling like yourself – but better, with your new joint replacement!

We truly believe that continuity of care contributes greatly to patient satisfaction and outcomes. Your follow-up appointments will be with YOUR SURGEON, not someone who is unfamiliar with or not invested in your care. We value your trust in our expertise and vow to see our joint replacement patients through to the ultimate goal of a comfortable, highly functioning joint and better quality of life.

Helpful Links

American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Research Society
ORS
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation
Arthroscopy Association of North America