Patients Feel Relief in Joints After Years of Pain
Feeling your body’s aches and pains can be deemed normal as we age. But, what if your pain isn’t “normal”? What if your joints could finally feel relief after a short outpatient stay?
Mercy Medical Center and Mercy’s Outpatient Surgery Center in Hiawatha offer two locations for patients to have orthopedic surgery locally. What surprises some patients is, thanks to surgical enhancements over time, how efficient the process has become and how quickly patients are able to get back on their feet and on the path to healing.
Mercy’s total joint replacements are tailored to fit each individual patient based on their medical complexity and lifestyle with options for same-day discharge, overnight stay, and placement to skilled or rehabilitation, if needed.
Colin Dirks
Colin Dirks traveled from Coralville to have his hip replaced at the Hiawatha location, which is conveniently located right off of Interstate 380.
Because Colin’s hip joint was grinding, his pain would worsen as he moved each day. With bone-on-bone arthritis and bone spurs in the joint, it was difficult for him to enjoy any activities without being in pain.
“I could still do most activities, but didn’t enjoy them, such as riding a bike, working in my yard or going for walks; even sleeping on my side was uncomfortable,” Colin said.
To help him return to enjoying an active lifestyle, as well as a comfortable night’s sleep, Colin knew it was time for his left hip to be replaced.
Colin was attracted to the option of outpatient joint replacement and, because he was a good candidate for it, he chose to have his surgery done at Mercy’s Outpatient Surgery Center located in Hiawatha in May 2022. Jeffrey Nassif, MD, FAAOS, and his team explained the procedure to Colin and the expected outcome, and used his X-rays to explain his condition.
Colin’s hip replacement was an outpatient procedure at Mercy, so he checked in and checked out on the same day. A surgery that, decades ago, was a certain hospital stay, now allowed Colin to have surgery and safely be home the same day.
“The [Mercy Surgery] Center was easy to get to, park and find our way around in the building,” Colin said.
After the surgery, he completed physical therapy.
“I try to stay active and go for long walks with my wife and have a virtual trainer for strengthening, as well as a water aerobics class,” Colin said. “It takes time to retrain the muscles to work properly again after years of losing function due to a failing joint.”
Returning to an active lifestyle has made Colin’s life more enjoyable.
“Overall, it is so good to not have the pain in that joint now,” Colin said.
Sarah Harris
Similar to Colin, Sarah Harris was struggling to do normal activities before her total left knee replacement in March 2022.
Sarah had difficulty going up and down the stairs; getting in and out of a car; and experienced pain after activities. So, to try to ease the pain in her knee, Sarah had injections. But, as time went on, her pain and instability became too much to handle.
Sandeep Munjal, MD, FAAOS, replaced Sarah’s left knee at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. And, per her request, Sarah stayed the night at Mercy, where she experienced The Mercy Touch®.
“My experience with the charge nurse, Beth, and other nursing staff at Mercy Orthopedics was great,” Sarah said. “They wrote a nice message on the board for me and helped me control the pain. I also liked that I had the compression on my legs all night and my leg straightened out. I believe this helped me get my extension quickly.”
Once she was ready, Sarah went to physical therapy a few times a week, where she made goals for herself and successfully reached all of them. Sarah noted she couldn’t have recovered as easily without the help from her sisters, Anne and Lileah.
“After surgery, I had no pain in my knee and it is much stronger,” Sarah said. “I went and climbed at AirFX, and I was amazed at how good my knee felt. I felt I had a bionic knee.”
Now, Sarah enjoys riding her bike and gardening at her family home, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sarah’s father, Percy Harris, MD, was the first African American physician in Cedar Rapids and Chief Medical Examiner for Linn County from 1961 until his retirement in 2000. She’s reminded of her parent’s legacy and love from her childhood.
“I am certain my father would be pleased with the great medical care I have received,” Sarah said. “And, mom would smile knowing that I can bend on my knees to take care of the flower gardens she planted."
If you’re experiencing joint pain in your hip, knees, shoulders, back or head, consider attending one of Mercy’s upcoming orthopedics seminars; the next is scheduled for May 3. To register, visit www.mercycare.org/orthoevent or call (319) 398-6616. During the seminar, you will learn more about what causes joint pain; rehabilitation options prior to surgery; treatment options if surgery is needed; realistic expectations after joint replacement surgery; and why you should choose Mercy for your joint replacement surgery.
