Rothman Orthopaedics Performs First Outpatient Total Joint Replacement at New AtlantiCare Center for Orthopaedic Surgery

This week, I performed the first outpatient total joint replacement at the state-of-the-art AtlantiCare Center for Orthopaedic Surgery in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. This facility is phenomenal, and I am excited to announce that it is open!  Its opening comes at an opportune time during the Coronavirus pandemic, providing our community with the safest means of having elective orthopaedic surgery outside of a hospital setting and returning home on the day of surgery.    

Having spent years of my career as a surgeon as part of the world’s largest and most respected joint replacement programs at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute and the Hospital for Special Surgery, I can speak to the highest quality of patient care that is offered to our local community through AtlantiCare and with the addition of the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery.  The facility was created by the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in partnership with AtlantiCare to offer outpatient or same-day joint replacement surgery, as well as hand, foot and ankle, sports medicine, pain management, and spine procedures. 

Benefits of Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery

In the past, joint replacement patients spent three or more days in the hospital. Advances in surgery techniques, anesthesia, and pain management now enable patients to walk immediately after surgery and to go home the day of surgery.  Outpatient surgery has many benefits including more rapid recovery, recovering in the comfort of your home, early mobility, and avoiding the hospital setting and its associated risks.

Who Can Have Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery?  

Patient selection is key to the success and safety of same-day joint replacement.  If you are interested in having surgery at our facility, your surgeon can help you determine if you are a good candidate.  It is important to be motivated, in good overall health, at a healthy body weight, and to have support at home. 

The Patient Experience at the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery 

The Center for Orthopaedic Surgery is a beautiful 24,000-square-foot facility located in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. The entrance is open, bright, and welcoming with large ceiling-to-floor windows. Neutral shades of blue, white, gray, and brown throughout the interior create a soothing environment. It is impeccably clean.  Patients are greeted and checked-in within the lobby.  They are provided a private space in the pre-surgical area to meet with their nurse, surgeon, and anesthesiologist.  The operating rooms are spacious and well-equipped with the latest technology and equipment.  After surgery, patients are made comfortable in their private recovery room which can also serve as an overnight space if an extended stay is needed.  Physical therapy works with the patient at their bedside immediately after surgery to allow for early mobilization.  Just hours after joint replacement surgery, patients are not only walking but returning to the comfort of their home.  The patient-centered experience is orchestrated by Rothman surgeons and AtlantiCare medical personnel who are leaders in the field of orthopaedic surgery.  Together, this team supports our patients to provide them the best and safest of surgical experiences in a facility that sets the bar for the standard of care in outpatient joint replacement.   

Dr. Danielle Ponzio, MD is a board certified Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute with specialized training in hip and knee joint replacement and complex revision joint replacement. She sees patients at office locations in Cape May Court House, Egg Harbor Township and Manahawkin. As an avid athlete, enjoying cycling, running, skiing, and yoga, Dr. Ponzio is committed to getting her patients back to active lifestyles. She strives to provide each patient with highly personalized non-surgical and surgical care for musculoskeletal conditions affecting the hip or knee.  She is also a new mom to twin girls. For more information or to make an appointment, please click here.