Spreading Holiday Cheer, One Joint at a Time

Dozens of orthopedic surgeons will spread some holiday cheer this week as they traverse the nation to provide free joint replacements to the needy.

Roughly 130 surgeons will provide hip and knee replacements to 230 patients at 70 hospitals in the United States through Dec. 7. The undertaking is part of Operation Walk USA, an initiative designed to restore mobility and improve the quality of life for uninsured and underinsured patients with disabling hip or knee arthritis.

This year, Operation Walk USA has been expanded from one day to six to allow for more hospital, surgeon and patient participation. The number of patients and orthopedic surgeons participating in the program steadily have risen since its 2011 inception, growing from 65 doctors and 85 patients two years ago to 130 doctors and 230 patients this year.

Operation Walk USA provides all aspects of treatment—surgery, hospitalization, and pre- and post-operative care—at no cost to participating patients who may not qualify for government assistance, have insurance or afford surgery on their own.

Arthritic disease is the most common cause of disability in the United States, affecting approximately 48 million Americans, or more than 21 percent of the adult population, according to industry statistics. The debilitating pain of end-stage hip or knee degenerative disease often makes working, or completing even the simplest of daily tasks, excruciatingly painful or impossible. Hip and knee replacement surgeries are the most cost-effective and successful of all orthopedic procedures, eliminating pain and allowing patients to resume active, productive lives.

“Helping someone to walk again, and to return to a life without pain, is indeed a cause worth celebrating,” said New Albany, Ohio, orthopaedic surgeon Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D., president of Operation Walk USA. “Operation Walk USA is now in its third year of providing total hip and knee replacements to underserved patients. This year we have expanded the official dates of Operation Walk to help more patients in need.

“With the start of the holiday month this was also a timely way for orthopedic surgeons and other health care staff participating in Operation Walk USA to give back in a profoundly meaningful way to their own communities,” Lombardi added.

Operation Walk USA began in 2011 following the success of Operation Walk, an international volunteer medical service organization that provides treatment for patients with arthritis and joint conditions in developing countries. To date, more than 6,000 patients have received new knees and hips through the international Operation Walk program, and nearly 300 patients through Operation Walk USA 2011 and 2012.

Device manufacturers Biomet Inc., DePuy Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew plc, Stryker Corp., Total Joint Orthopedics Inc. and Zimmer Holdings Inc. are donating hip and knee implants for Operation Walk 2013. Quill Medical Inc. is providing sutures, while Ortech Data Inc. is supplying electronic medical record (EMR) management. Ortech will transfer Operation Walk USA 2013 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant data to the American Joint Replacement Registry, a national center for data collection and research on total hip and knee replacements.

Operation Walk USA 2013 Fast Facts:

• Operation Walk USA 2013 will be held at hospitals throughout the country, Dec. 2- Dec. 7.
• An estimated 130 orthopaedic surgeons will provide hip and joint replacements, free of charge, to 230 patients at 70 hospitals.
• Operation Walk USA 2013 is based on the successful experiences of Operation Walk, which has provided hip and knee replacements to thousands of patients throughout the world since 1996.
• This is the third year for Operation Walk USA.
• To find a list of participating orthopaedic surgeons and cities, visit www.opwalkusa.com.