Articles

Saint Francis Surgeon Trained to Perform New Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery—Patients Walk Without Support in Eight Days

July 21, 2004

Sufferers of chronic hip pain now have a new minimally invasive surgical procedure as an alternative method of total hip replacement, resulting in faster surgery, recovery and rehabilitation for patients. Thomas Sampson, M.D., Director of the Total Joint Center at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, joins a small circle of 200 doctors worldwide who are qualified to perform this procedure.

Developed and launched in 2003 by orthopedics leader Zimmer Inc. (NYSE:ZMH), the new instrumentation and a muscle-sparing surgical technique place the same clinically proven hip implant used in traditional surgery through two incisions of 1.5 to 2 inches each, rather than the standard 10- to 12- inch incision used in traditional surgery.

Potential benefits of the Zimmer Minimally Invasive 2-Incision™ technique are shorter hospital stays, smaller scars, less blood loss during surgery, faster recovery time and less tissue trauma and decreased risk of dislocation. Potentially, patients are able to leave the hospital in less than 24 hours and are walking without support in eight days (vs. six weeks or more for traditional surgery).

"Patients generally experience less pain and are back to their regular activities much sooner than with traditional surgery. Many, in fact, are able to return to work within two weeks," said Dr. Sampson, a nationally recognized expert in mini incision hip replacement surgery and a pioneer in hip arthroscopy surgery.

According to a report delivered at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Orthopedic Association (ADA), more than 80 % of some 300 patients at three medical centers who were treated with the Zimmer 2-Incision procedure were discharged to their homes within 24 hours or less of their surgery. While long-term studies are still ongoing, in more than 500 patients who have received the new procedure, complications have been no different than those associated with traditional replacement.

Dr. Sampson and other surgeons who perform Zimmer MIS 2-Incision hip replacement must be trained on the technically demanding procedure through The Zimmer Institute, a state-of-the-art facility based in Warsaw, Indiana, which maintains satellite training locations at academic institutions around the world.

While the new procedure is a preferable option for many, Dr. Sampson points out that not all candidates will qualify. Factors that may rule out the procedure include obesity (more than 30 percent over recommended body weight), recent history of blood clots, prior replacement of the same hip, and/or other unstable medical conditions. However, he says these patients still may be candidates for traditional surgery or the Zimmer MIS Mini-Incision hip replacement procedure, another less-invasive technique with similar patient benefits.

About Saint Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH)

The Total Joint Center was established in 2001 at SFMH to serve the needs of the San Francisco Bay area, as well as patients from around the world with a comprehensive referral program for total joint replacement. Designed specifically for the diagnosis and treatment of joint pain, the Center has a regional reputation for its superior surgical techniques and high levels of patient satisfaction. For more information, visit www.Sfjointcenter.com or www.saintfrancismemorial.org. Located atop Nob Hill near the downtown business and visitor centers in San Francisco, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital meets the health care needs of the community with a wide spectrum of programs and services including comprehensive burn and wound care, orthopedic specialties in sports, spine injuries and medical specialties in cancer care, pulmonary medicine and cardiology.

About Zimmer Inc.

Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, Zimmer is a global leader in the design, development, manufacture and marketing of reconstructive orthopedic, spinal and dental implants, trauma products and related orthopedic surgical products. Zimmer has operations in more than 20 countries around the world and sells products in more than 70 countries. In October, 2003, the company finalized its more than $3 billion acquisition of Centerpulse AG, a Switzerland-based orthopedic company and the leader in the European market. In March 2001, the company opened the Zimmer Institute, the anchor for a planned worldwide network of locations dedicated to providing education related to minimally invasive orthopedics. Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Swiss Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ZMH.