Putting the Spring Back in Your Step

Now that we’re settling into 2021, it’s the perfect time to prioritize your health. If you’ve been putting off your medical needs due to fear of coming to the hospital, there is no need to delay your care. In fact, it can be dangerous to do so. At Emanuel Medical Center, we continue to care for all patients who come to us with healthcare needs including broken bones, chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, delivering babies and routine screenings. We have separate care pathways for potential or confirmed COVID-19 patients. Every precaution is being taken, combining strong infection prevention processes, staff training, testing and ample supply of personal protective equipment. We are committed to universal protection and safety for every person who walks through our doors.

If you canceled or delayed a surgery due to the pandemic, such as a joint replacement, speak with your physician to determine whether the time is right for you to reschedule.

Joint Replacement Options

At Emanuel, we take a multi-disciplinary approach to relieving joint issues to ensure continuity of care and maximize your results. We offer a wide range of treatments and procedures to help with all your symptoms, from nonsurgical options to minimally invasive procedures that can result in less scarring, less pain and faster recovery. The staff at Emanuel is focused on providing you with the quality care you deserve.

Sometimes, the best option is joint replacement. Joint replacement surgery involves replacing a damaged joint with a new one called a prosthesis. These new joints usually are made of a metal, plastic or a ceramic device. Hips and knees are the joints replaced most often, but shoulders, ankles and elbows can be replaced as well. 

Joint replacement is usually considered after exercise, walking aids, physical therapy or medications cannot relieve pain and improve mobility. Surgery for hip replacement patients, for example, can help lessen problems walking or make it easier to bend. Joint damage is caused by osteoarthritis, injuries, other diseases, and joint wear caused by avascular necrosis, which is the loss of bone caused by low blood supply.

Hip pain, whether it is from an injury or caused by a degenerative joint disease, can interfere with your daily life. Surgeons at Emanuel use the Direct Anterior Hip approach, a method of replacing your hip without detaching the muscles from your pelvis or femur. (Other approaches require detaching those muscles.) Because the important muscles in your hip function are left undisturbed, those muscles will not need to heal so you experience less pain and a shorter recovery. Immediately after surgery, most patients use their hip normally without restrictions.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

If the best treatment option for you is surgery, Emanuel specializes in advanced technologies to make surgery as minimally invasive as necessary. This typically results in several benefits: faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, less pain, less scarring, less blood loss, minimal incision, less muscle trauma, reduced risk of dislocation, increased precision for more accurate joint replacements, and walking the day of surgery.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a condition that may require surgery, you owe it to yourself to learn about all of your options, including some of the most minimally invasive surgical treatments available using robotic-assisted surgery. We live in a day and age when there are a myriad of medical advancements that can help us live healthier and stronger.

Through the use of robotic-assisted surgery, surgeons are now able to offer minimally invasive and more precise options for many complex surgical procedures from knee replacements to cancer treatment.

The NAVIO Surgical System is a robotics-assisted knee surgery platform that provides accuracy, flexibility and confidence for partial and total knee replacement procedures. The benefits include a highly individualized plan that is created specifically for the unique shape and motion of each patient’s knee, computer assistance designed to ensure consistent and accurate results, accuracy that can help improve the function, feel and potential longevity of the knee implant, and minimal soft-tissue damage.

Emanuel also offers a surgical system to assist with joint replacements known as the Arthrex Synergy system. Arthrex combines a 32” ultra-HD monitor with a suite of matching probe-mounted cameras and surgical tools. This technology gives the surgeon a clearer image during the operation. The system has iPad technology that allows the surgeon to share images with patients and their families for a clearer picture of the operative procedure as well as the stages of recovery.

Caring for You

Emanuel’s goal is to provide the highest standard of care and to achieve the highest in quality outcomes for our patients. Our team will focus on nonsurgical treatment options first, such as anti-inflammatory medicine, ice, heat and massage. We then offer minimally invasive surgical procedures, if needed. Comprehensive care also includes physical therapy, pain management, rehabilitation services and advanced imaging.

For more than 100 years, we have been the heart of healing in Turlock. We are dedicated to providing the best care possible for residents of Turlock and nearby communities in our hospital, at our comprehensive Cancer Center, in our Multi Specialty Care Clinic and in our Rehabilitation Center.

Emanuel is open and safe to care for you and your loved ones. We can provide any needed care in our hospital and emergency department. Your safety is our top priority.