Reduce Revisions Initiative, a program focused on supporting orthopedic professionals with the goal of measurably improving outcomes of total joint arthroplasty (TJA), has launched, a media release explains.

TJA includes Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). These surgeries sometimes fail for various reasons and require revision. The goal of the new program is to discuss ways to reduce the rate of these revision surgeries.

“One mode of failure of joint replacement is infection. Because of the sheer number of joint replacements we do and better diagnostic modalities, the number of infected joint replacements are also likely to rise in the coming years. Infection of a prosthetic joint is a major problem for both the patient and the healthcare” shares Reduce Revisions editorial board chair Dr Javad Parvizi, professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, in the release.

“It’s time for us to face this issue head on, and I’m excited about the potential for the Reduce Revisions Initiative to be part of the solution by promoting best practices and sharing innovative developments in total joint replacement,” Parvizi adds.

In order to make a meaningful contribution to total joint arthroplasty patient care, Reduce Revisions will create communication channels focused on sharing information with total joint surgeons, nurses, administrators, and other key healthcare professionals in the patient care continuum. The Initiative’s Editorial Board has identified several key areas for education:

  • Infection prevention & management
  • Fixation optimization
  • Patient involvement in preventing revision surgery
  • New frontiers in TJA
  • Improving economics

Reduce Revisions also will work to accelerate research around total joint arthroplasty quality improvement and complications management. A five-member editorial board, comprised of orthopedic researchers and surgeons, is now developing forums and events that foster collaboration and sharing of surgeons’ experiences, as well as exploring ways to make ongoing learning opportunities easily accessible. Ultimately, Reduce Revisions will measure its success by the outcomes of primary total joint replacement surgery and the shift in need for revision surgery, the release explains.

[Source(s): Reduce Revisions, PR Newswire]