Inova Mount Vernon Hospital to Provide Free Hip and Knee Replacements

On Saturday, Dec. 3, orthopedic surgeons at the Inova Joint Replacement Center at  will provide free hip and/or knee replacements to 10 patients from the Fairfax/Alexandria communities as part of Operation Walk USA 2011.

Millions of Americans suffer from painful joint problems and may end up one day needing a joint replacement.  Each year, more than 900,000 hip and knee replacements are performed in the U.S., but that statistic does not shed light on how many people go without the surgery because they might not have the financial capacity to afford the procedure.

Building on the global success of Operation Walk, an international effort that has improved the lives and mobility of more than 5,000 patients in developing countries, approximately 55 orthopedic surgeons will provide free hip and knee replacement surgery to more than 55 patients at 23 hospitals, in 15 different states, on December 2 and 3, 2011 as part of Operation Walk USA 2011.

“This is a wonderful cause and I’m extremely proud of the physicians and staff who volunteer to participate in this program. We participate in Operation Walk USA as it is a perfect example of how we at Inova live our mission, of caring for and about people,” said Barbara Doyle, CEO, InovaMount Vernon Hospital and SVP Inova Health System.

All aspects of treatment – surgery, hospitalization, and pre-and post-operative care – are provided at no cost to the patients. Operation Walk USA 2011 is a collaborative effort between three orthopaedic organizations:  The Hip Society, The Knee Society, and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), as well as 23 participating hospitals. 

Physician from the Anderson Orthopedics Clinic practicing at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital’s Inova Joint Replacement Center will be participating in the program, they are:  Gerard Engh, MD, Kevin Fricka, MD, William Hamilton, MD, Nitin Goyal, MD also participating are two internal medicine physicians., two anesthesiologists and multiple members of the Operating Room staff team.

Gerard Engh, MD, Medical Director of the Inova Joint Replacement Center and team leader for Operation Walk America at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital had this to say about the program.  “Surgeons and physicians are participating in this program because of the joy that comes with helping others. An enormous number of people in this country cannot afford health insurance and therefore have no access to the relief that can be provided with hip and knee replacement surgery. We have a responsibility to our community to help such individuals suffering from the pain and limitations with advanced hip and knee arthritis.”

Bill Hamilton, MD, a joint replacement surgeon participating in the program also commented on the benefits of the program. "Our international mission trips have been very successful and rewarding.  The need in the countries we visit is overwhelming.  However, you can't read the newspaper or listen to the news without hearing the struggles our fellow Americans are experiencing.  Helping people that live in our neighborhoods, which have testimonials that resonate very much with each of the team members, is rewarding in a different way from our international trips.  It would be easy to imagine yourself in these patients’ shoes- the victim of life's circumstances that put you in a situation without health insurance, and a system that makes obtaining insurance near to impossible.  I think the reward of helping patients locally will be fulfilling for our whole team."

Device manufacturers Biomet, DePuy, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, and Zimmer donated the hip and knee implants. Nike will provide a pair of new shoes for each patient.  

—Tony Raker, Inova Public Relations Officer