Regional Medical Center | Thrive for Life | Summer 2018

SEVERE JOINT PAIN can limit function and seriously compromise your quality of life. If you’re seeking relief from knee or hip pain, you may be considering joint replacement. And now, there’s a new team member to assist with your surgery at the RMC Orthopaedic and Joint Center in Anniston. Candidates for joint replacement are gradually getting younger, requiring the procedure because of arthritis or injury—or a combination of the two. A successful candidate for surgery is someone who typically experiences pain daily that either limits or prevents participation in common, everyday activities. As joint degeneration progresses, increasing pain may also prevent restful sleep. While surgery is no small endeavor, the RMC Orthopaedic and Joint Center offers a comprehensive approach that will get you back to your life sooner. With RMC’s innovative web-based JointCOACH™ program and preoperative classes, you will know what to expect during your hospital stay and throughout recovery. And with new technology in the OR, your surgical experience is even better than ever before. A helping hand in the OR Mako® Robotic Arm-Assisted Technology by Stryker now helps surgeons provide a more predictable surgical experience with increased accuracy. Through CT-based 3-D modeling of your bone anatomy, RMC surgeons can now use the Mako system to create a more personalized surgical plan based on your unique anatomy—and virtually modify the plan intraoperatively, if needed. Your orthopedic surgeon will perform the surgery and guide the robotic arm using your specific surgical plan. The Mako system informs the surgeon’s work within the area defined in planning. This helps the surgeon focus on removing diseased bone and preserving healthy bone, while providing more accurate placement and alignment of your implant. RMC’s addition of the Mako system is the latest demonstration of its commitment to providing the community with outstanding health care by giving you access to innovative robotic technology. The newest member of RMC’s joint replacement team Meet Mako ® Live pain-free. ●  ● To learn more, visit bit.ly/RMCjointcare . ●  ● Visit rmccares.org/our-doctors or call 256-231-8880 to locate a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at RMC. ●  ● Attend a free arthritis seminar. Call 256-235-5970 to learn more and to register. ●  ● Mako-certified physicians, from left: Kenneth L. Vandervoort, MD; Clinton Ray, MD; Michael R. Wiedmer, MD; Duane M. Tippets, DO; Andrew Morris, MD; and Gordon T. Hardy, MD. Not pictured: Duane D. Tippets, MD. JOINT REPLACEMENT Regional Medical Center 8