Image by Arek Socha from PixabayA new phase of post-operative recovery is emerging for patients in South Florida.
Dr. H. Kurtis Biggs, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of The Joint Replacement Institute in Naples, is setting a new standard in post-operative care with the launch of “The Secret Sauce” — a comprehensive, concierge-style recovery program for hip and knee replacement patients.
The program is the result of an evolution in his practice, according to Biggs.
“My focus has always been on hip and knee replacements, but I’ve been performing these surgeries exclusively for 12 years,” Biggs told ASC News. “The surgery itself has evolved, but most of the advances have occurred both before surgery and during the post-operative recovery. Over the past four years or so, I’ve been working toward a point where I can eliminate or greatly reduce the use of narcotics because we have an epidemic in this country, and much of it is linked to the medications we give patients after their elective procedures.”
The average consumption of Oxycodone after total knee replacement exceeds 120 pills in Florida, according to Biggs. The number of deaths from opioid use in the U.S. surpasses 75,000 annually. These statistics have motivated him to eliminate opioid prescriptions from his practice over the past two years.
Small changes have accumulated into a single, effective solution: an optimal recovery process for the patient.
The Secret Sauce is designed to provide every patient with the best possible recovery through a thoughtfully curated combination of advanced technology, targeted therapies and direct post-operative support.
Patients start a regimen of medications and supplements, including protein and amino acids, one week before surgery and continue for three weeks afterward. The protocol also involves collecting bone marrow from the patient during surgery. The bone marrow is aspirated around the joint replacement to provide patients with the highest possible concentration of healing cells.
Edema wear helps reduce swelling, while decreasing the amount of physical therapy, and incorporating step counts helps maintain an optimal activity level.
“Doing too much is a problem,” Biggs explained. “I give the patient a [step counter] so they can measure how much activity they are doing. There’s an education process that goes with this, to teach patients who believe that if they work harder, they’re going to get well quicker – you have to coach them the other way, you have to pull the reins in to keep them at a moderate recovery process.”
Beginning Oct. 1, Biggs began enrolling all patients undergoing joint replacement in the protocol.
However, patients must be committed to the recovery process, he emphasized.
“I tell patients, this is an active recovery process,” Biggs said. “You have to be part of the team. The team consists of the surgeon, the patient and the body. If the body isn’t doing its part, that’s usually because the first two aren’t doing their. So, it’s important to get them on board.”
Biggs told ASC News there were initial challenges in establishing the protocol due to the availability of the medications. However, he partnered with a local pharmacy that not only supplies the medications but also provides a rebate to significantly lower patient costs. Still, he remains confident because the protocol has been very successful with patients and physicians so far.
He noted that there have been no constitutional symptoms, as patients don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded. They’re not experiencing the constipation often associated with pain medication. Additionally, anesthesia teams have found that patients need less anesthesia for procedures.
“I built this program for patients who want more than a standard recovery. This is about raising expectations, removing opioids from the equation and delivering results that last,” Biggs said. “We are not just replacing joints. We are giving people their lives back with clarity, precision and a smarter path forward.”
The Joint Replacement Institute in Naples is a 22,000 square-foot orthopedic treatment center, first established in 2008.
