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Knee and Hip Surgery Helping Valley Patients to Walk Again Without Pain
- Updated: July 31, 2015
Dr. Rick Bassett, Orthopedic Surgeon and Medical Director for Valley Baptist Medical Center’s Orthopedics / Joint Replacement Program, has performed mobility-restoring knee and hip replacement surgeries for patients from across the Valley – and from across the nation.
HARLINGEN – Nationally-recognized knee and hip replacement surgery which is performed at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen has helped many Valley residents and visitors to regain their ability to walk without pain.
In fact, Valley Baptist is one of the most experienced hospitals in Texas when it comes to “joint replacement” surgeries, performing more than a thousand of the procedures every year. Patients from across the country have come to Valley Baptist to have a hip or knee replacement with Dr. Rick Bassett, a nationally-known orthopedic surgeon and medical director of Valley Baptist-Harlingen’s Orthopedics / Joint Replacement Program.
The surgery is performed for patients who have pain, discomfort, or loss of function because of arthritis, accidents, or other causes. The surgery is designed to help restore the patient’s ability to walk and relieve pain. Most of the patients are between the ages of 50 and 80.
In 2014, Valley Baptist was re-certified with a “Gold Seal of Approval™” specifically for knee and hip replacement surgeries by a national accrediting organization for healthcare organizations, the Joint Commission. Recently, the Joint Commission reviewed Valley Baptist’s program to ensure that the hospital is continuing to meet national standards, and the review resulted in another “passed certification” — showing that Valley Baptist is continuing to meet all requirements for a “specialty certification.”
Valley Baptist’s orthopedics department follows the national standards in order to help reduce the length of stay and risk of infections for patients hospitalized after orthopedic surgery. For example, patients are given antibiotics at optimum times to reduce the chance of infection. In addition, Valley Baptist’s orthopedic surgery rooms are equipped with a sterile air flow system which reduces infections.
For more information on knee, hip and other joint replacement procedures, please consult your physician and visit www.ValleyBaptist.net.
