St. Mary’s Medical Center has the Hands of Experience® in Orthopedic Care. St. Mary’s Regional Joint Replacement Center performs hundreds of joint replacements surgeries every year. In fact, Dr. Thomas Scott with Scott Orthopedic Center performed some of the first joint replacement procedures in the state of West Virginia at St. Mary’s in the early 1970s.

In 2008, St. Mary’s and Scott Orthopedic Center joined forces to start the Regional Joint Replacement Center. By forming the new center, St. Mary’s expanded patient education and care services by developing a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care. Each member of our team is specially trained to care for patients having joint replacement surgery. The education and care provided by this team is unmatched in the region. And, even though they’ve cared for countless patients in the past, they also understand that joint replacement patients needs are unique. The recent volume of joint replacement patients treated by St. Mary’s Regional Joint Replacement Center has more than doubled in number over the past year.

Drs. Kyle R. Hegg, Vivek Neginhal and Steve Lochow are the three surgeons who perform joint replacement surgeries at the St. Mary’s Regional Joint Replacement Center. Lou Ann Waldron, RN, is the patient education coordinator for the center.

New patient education materials have been developed by the Center to help patients both before and after surgery. The program is based on a wellness model and represents a collaborative effort among physicians, nurses and occupational and physical therapists who are instructed to care for patients according to the model.

Patients seeking care through St. Mary’s Regional Joint Replacement Center are asked to attend a pre-operative education class approximately four weeks before surgery. They also maintain a comprehensive notebook throughout the process. Patients are asked to choose a relative, friend or neighbor to serve as their joint replacement “coach,” who will attend the education class and participate in all aspects of patient care.

At the Joint Replacement Center, patients are offered a hotel-type experience with private rooms, and they only wear a hospital gown the day of their surgery. They receive daily newsletters and participate in group rehabilitation sessions, which emphasize camaraderie and friendly competition.

If there are no problems or complications, patients are released on the third day. They are usually comfortable returning home because they know what to expect.

After spending a few days with us, our patients will be able to spend the rest of their lives doing the things they love.

For more information about St. Mary’s Regional Joint Replacement Center, or to schedule an appointment, call Center Coordinator Lou Ann Waldron at (304) 526-1311.