Same-day joint replacement? It’s possible at Inova

Max Lingamfelter, DO, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. His clinical areas of interest include robotic joint replacement, direct anterior hip replacement and complex and challenging revision cases. He sees patients at Inova Sports Medicine in Arlington.

Hip and knee replacement surgeries are highly effective for treating osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis and other causes of joint pain. Yet many people hesitate to have these surgeries because they worry about risks and recovery.

At Inova, patients no longer spend multiple days in the hospital with large incisions and significant blood loss. Our innovative hip and knee surgeries provide a safer surgery and easier, less painful recovery — with most patients going home the same day.

Making joint replacement surgery safer

Traditional hip and knee replacement surgery can cause significant blood loss that often requires a transfusion. Losing a large amount of blood makes your recovery much more challenging. 

Our surgeons use a special cautery device to minimize blood loss. The device seals blood vessels during surgery and prevents damage to your surrounding tissue. You don’t need a transfusion, and the risks of surgery are significantly lower. These methods cut blood loss from 300-400 milliliters down to as little as 5 milliliters.

A new approach to hip replacement

Traditional hip replacement surgery requires a posterior (back) incision through the muscles on the side of your hip. Surgeons have to cut several muscles, including your iliotibial (IT) band, to access your hip joint from this angle.

Our surgeons use an anterior (front) approach, which doesn’t require incisions in your large muscles. Instead, we gently move your hip muscles apart to place the new hardware. Then, we move your muscles back into their position — no cutting required. Without large incisions, you have much less pain, better mobility and a lower risk of hip dislocation.

Innovative pain relief

Effective pain control methods are key to getting you on your feet sooner after joint replacement. We deliver a combination of medicines directly to your knee or hip to provide significant pain relief right where you need it.

Not only do you feel better with these medications, you’ll have much less swelling and bleeding. And because there’s no need for anesthesia that numbs your lower body, most patients can comfortably stand and walk just three hours after surgery.

Using AI in joint replacement

Finding the right hardware for your body and placing it in the perfect location — down to the millimeter — is key to a good result. And now we have artificial intelligence (AI) to assist us with these crucial decisions.

Inova is among the first in the region to use a combination of AI and live digital fluoroscopy (moving X-rays) during surgery. The AI has been trained on over a million hip procedures, giving us an extraordinary amount of real-time data. With this information and our detailed fluoroscopy images, we can provide highly accurate, precise results.

Robotic-assisted partial knee replacement

Until recently, if you had knee OA, your only option was a total knee replacement. This surgery replaces all three compartments of your knee — even if only one or two are affected. Having your total knee replaced means a longer recovery and limitations in your knee’s mobility.

If you don’t need your whole knee replaced, we offer robotic-assisted partial knee replacement. During this surgery, we repair only the damaged areas of the knee, preserving your healthy knee structures. Partial knee replacement offers a shorter recovery and allows you to keep more of your knee’s natural movement. Many younger, active patients can return to activities like running and skiing after their knee has healed.

Finding the right fit

Technology allows us to provide a safer, easier joint replacement surgery, but personalized care is just as important. Before recommending any procedure, we inquire about your goals and lifestyle to understand your needs. Then, we create a customized treatment plan that will truly benefit you — now and in the years ahead.

Learn more about Inova Joint Replacement Services.