Pasadena Magazine is the bi-monthly magazine of Pasadena and its surrounding areas – the diverse, historically rich and culturally vibrant region that includes Glendale, the Eastside of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley all the way to Claremont.
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In-N-Out Joint Replacement While not exactly drive through, with Kaiser Permanente's innovative home recovery program, you can pick up a new hip or knee and be home the same day. IMAGES COURTESY OF // KAISER PERMANENTE ∫ SANDER ROGOFF WAS IN PAIN. THE 76-YEAR-OLD RETIRED POLICE OFFICER HAD SEVERE ARTHRITIS IN HIS RIGHT KNEE. HE'D BEEN AN AVID ATHLETE SINCE CHILDHOOD, BUT THE PAIN IN HIS KNEE HAD GOTTEN SO BAD THAT, WHEN HE GOT ON BASE, THE TEAM WOULD OFTEN TAP A FASTER PINCH RUNNER TO ROUND THE BASES FOR HIM. "WHEN YOU START RUNNING, YOU FEEL THE CREAK IN YOUR KNEE," ROGOFF REMEMBERS. "IT WAS CONSTANT PAIN. AFTER A GAME I'D BE SORE ALL DAY. I COULDN'T EVEN LAY IN BED AT NIGHT, IT HURT SO MUCH." Rogoff's condition was hardly atypical. He was suffering from osteoarthritis, a condi- tion that affects 30 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In Rogoff's case, the cartilage that provides cushioning between the bones in his leg and knee had worn away. Like the more than fi ve million Americans who underwent knee surgery between 2000 and 2010, he'd need a new knee made of metal alloys and cutting-edge plastics. But there was one very profound way in which Rogoff's treatment was different from that of those other patients: nationally, people receiving hip and knee replacements can spend up to three nights in the hospital following sur- gery. Sander Rogoff went home the same day. Sander Rogoff was one of the fi rst partici- pants in a groundbreaking program developed at the Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, whereby patients receiving elective hip and knee replacements are able to recover at home—on the same day as their surgeries. Dr. Abe Lin, a total joint specialist at the Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, initially conceived the program after his fi rst child was born with jaundice, a common condition caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood. To treat the condition and break down the bilirubins, children are placed under bright lights in a warm, enclosed bed. In the case of Dr. Lin's son, rather than put him in a "Bili Bed" in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a portable Bilirubin Blanket and nursing care were delivered to Dr. Lin's house so that the newborn could recover at home instead of in the hospital. Dr. Lin says seeing the amazing care his newborn received at home sparked an idea. "The homecare experience with our newborn inspired me to think about how we could deliver the hospital and healthcare team to our total joint patients' homes," says Dr. Lin. Working with Glenn Shulman, another orthopedic specialist at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, Dr. Lin set up a multi-disciplinary group to study his idea and design a patient-centric way to execute it. "We knew we had to devise a wide-ranging program around safe practices, and Kaiser Permanente's model allowed us to do that," says Dr. Shulman. Unlike many other care provider situations, where the hospitals, doctors and insurers are separate, unrelated entities, Kaiser Permanente operates under an integrated structure in which the health plan, the hospital, and the physicians and medical group work together in a coordinated fashion for the benefi t of the patient. NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Dr. Abe Lin spearheads a multi-disciplinary effort to deliver healthcare to total joint patients in their own home. SEPTEMBER 2017 129 B O D Y, M I N D A N D S P I R I T HEALTH & WELLNESS