Why Choose Us

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Discomfort from bone pain, joint pain or an orthopedic injury can go beyond uncomfortable to debilitating - limiting your range of motion and keeping you from daily activities. Bayfront Health has been recognized by multiple accrediting bodies, and our specialists use advanced treatments and technology to care for:

• Orthopedic surgeries, including total hip, knee, ankle, wrist, elbow and shoulder replacement surgeries
• Outpatient sports medicine conditions
• Orthopedic trauma care, spine care and bone diseases
• Orthopedic rehabilitation and physical therapy
• Arthritis, joint disease and back and neck pain
• Medications and pain management therapies

Ready to take the next step? Request an appointment with one of our joint care specialists today.

Joint Replacement in Punta Gorda

The Joint and Spine Center is a place, a program, and a team of orthopedic surgeons and clinicians who are dedicated to knowing, anticipating and delivering care to each patient undergoing joint replacement surgery. The Joint and Spine Center provides an environment that emphasizes wellness and maximizes patient recovery efforts through education, a culture of early mobility, family involvement and group interaction.

Best practice has proven that individuals undergoing joint replacement or spine surgery do significantly better if they see themselves as healthy individuals who are coming to the hospital not because they are sick, but rather because they have hip, knee, back or neck pain and want to live a better quality of life. Patients who have their joint replacement or spine surgery at hospitals that partner with their physicians to develop structured programs around this fundamental concept of wellness have better outcomes, quicker recovery, and a quicker return to home.

Here’s what makes our program different:

• Dedicated Unit (with private rooms). All activities—physical therapy, group lunches, and nursing care—take place on a unit dedicated exclusively to hip and knee replacement patients. Large, motivational posters are located throughout the halls of our center and all patients receive a private room—at no additional cost. You won’t find another hospital in the area that can provide the same.
• Dedicated Staff. All staff has been chosen specifically because of their expertise; positive, upbeat nature; and high motivational skills.
• Care Coordinator. One person—a care coordinator—oversees the patient’s entire stay and is their resource before, during and after discharge.
• Street clothes Rather Than Hospital Gowns. Patients do not wear hospital gowns. They are expected to bring comfortable clothes—sweats, shorts, etc.—to wear during the day, further encouraging our program’s fundamental concept of wellness.
• Casual Clothes - no hospital gowns for this crowd
• Aggressive Daily Schedule. Patients are up and dressed by 7 a.m., starting the day after surgery. Two group therapy sessions are held daily—one in the morning, and a second in the afternoon, along with individual in-room sessions and education.
• Daily Newsletters. Each morning patients receive a daily newsletter with their breakfast, letting them know what is on the agenda for the day, along with tips for caring for their new joints.
• Ambulation Board. Patients compete with other patients on distance walked each day. All progress is tracked on a large board posted on the wall. This board provides visual reinforcement of goals met each day.
• Comprehensive Guidebook. Education begins in the physician’s office where future patients are given a comprehensive guidebook, explaining their upcoming surgery and providing a list of activities, including preoperative strengthening exercises that they need to begin six weeks prior to surgery. This guidebook also serves as a clinical diary that patients bring to pre-operative class, to all appointments, and to the hospital.
• Pre-Operative Class. All patients and their family members are required to attend a preoperative class two weeks prior to surgery, where they meet their team, in addition to learning in detail about the procedure, what to expect in the hospital, and how to care for oneself after discharge.
• Coach. Each person chooses a coach—usually a family member or friend—who is an active participant in their loved one’s care before, during and after discharge from the hospital. Coaches learn the program right along with their loved one, and provide encouragement and support. Coaches are given a special coach’s button, designating the key role they play.
• Group Lunches. Group lunches are held in the center’s group room for patients, coaches and staff, which encourage camaraderie and shared experiences.
• After-care Support Program. Graduates receive calls from the Joint and Spine Center staff within 72 hours of discharge. Reunions for graduates and their coaches are held quarterly with surgeons and their entire team.
• Advanced Analgesic and Rapid-Recovery Surgical Techniques. Our surgeons are trained in analgesic and minimally invasive surgical techniques that often result in less pain and a quicker recovery for patients.
• Measured Outcomes. We evaluate each patient on multiple clinical, functional, and patient satisfaction criteria. These outcomes are analyzed during monthly performance improvement team meetings, and enable us to become masters of teamwork.
• Certification. Our Center has received disease-specific care certification from The Joint Commission in: Spinal fusion, laminectomy, joint replacement for the hip and joint replacement for the knee.

Robotic-Assisted Options in Port Charlotte

Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda is proud to offer robotic surgery to our community. In fact, we're the only surgery center in Charlotte County to offer robotic surgery for partial knee and total hip replacement. These surgical options are less invasive than traditional options and come with minimal risk. We know you have a life you need to return to. That's why these robotic surgery alternatives may also offer a faster recovery and far less scarring. Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda is committed to providing quality healthcare from a caring and compassionate staff.

Robot-guided surgery refers to minimally invasive procedures that utilize and combine robot technology and 3D imaging. The controls and surgical tools are guided by a qualified surgeon. With the aid of high-definition 3D imaging, the surgeon is able to perform procedures with greater accuracy. Robot-guided surgeries require much smaller incisions and significantly reduce pain, scarring, blood loss, and recovery time, while improving patient outcomes.