Baptist Joint Replacement Program: Joints And More (JAM)

Baptist Medical Center has earned the following clinical recognitions from HealthGrades for Orthopedic Services:
• Five-Star Rated for Joint Replacement, Two Years in a Row (2009 and 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Total Knee Replacements, Two Years in a Row (2009 and 2010)
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in Mississippi for Overall Orthopedic Services
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in Mississippi for Joint Replacement
:: See a full listing of all Baptist Medical Center's HealthGrades recognitions.

If you suffer from debilitating pain in your hip, knee, shoulder or other joint, you know how much it can limit your motion and activities of daily living. You may have pain that interrupts your sleep.

After being diagnosed with arthritis by your physician—from a remote injury or some other cause—your doctor may prescribe various non-surgical treatments. When these treatments no longer offer pain relief, you may begin to consider having a joint replacement.

Each year, physicians at Baptist perform more than 1,100 joint replacement surgeries. Each day, we send people home with new joints who look forward to returning to functional independence and an improvement in their quality of life.

Some of our surgeons have begun using a computer navigation system to assist with knee and hip joint replacement surgeries. If a computer is used, it does not change the implants, the overall outcome of the procedure, nor the post-operative course. The computer is used in the operating room, much like a GPS system is used in a car, and helps the surgeon decide the angles and amount of bone cuts, as well as the proper alignment of the joint replacement components. It involves trackers being attached to the shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur), which communicate with a camera, then project real-time images of the joint onto a monitor. Research has proven that with the assistance of computer navigation, the procedure is less invasive and the overall alignment of the joint is better than when traditional instruments are used alone.

With the joint replacement program at Baptist, patient education and support begins at the time the surgery is scheduled, and continues through the hospital stay and the recovery process at home. The patient’s family members and primary care physician- or hospitalist on staff at Baptist – are involved in the patient’s care from pre-admission through discharge. This constant communication contributes to quality care and good patient experiences, which are our priority at Baptist.

Whether you’ve been contemplating a joint replacement surgery for years or you’ve just begun to think about it, there are many things to think about. It is a procedure that requires consideration of the risks and benefits in consultation with your primary healthcare provider as well as orthopaedic surgeon. It also requires planning.

For more information about the joint replacement program at Baptist, use the links below or send e-mail to jamprogram@mbhs.org, or call the Baptist Health Line at 601-948-6262 or 1-800-948-6262.

• Patient Education Program
• Preparation for Surgery
• Meet Baptist’s JAM Staff
• Getting Moving Again: Rehabilitation Services
• Aftercare Options
• Watch a video of the Reverse Shoulder Replacement Procedure. ( You will leave this section of the website.)