PREMIUM HIP AND KNEE IMPLANTS UNFORTUNATELY DO COST MORE
In January 2009, Baptist Health in a cost saving measure, has mandated that all orthopedic surgeons throughout their 5 hospital system (Baptist, South Miami, Homestead, Mariners, and Doctors) must use total hip and knee implants manufactured by only 2 companies - Stryker Company and Richards Smith-Nephew. While I can understand from a cost savings MBA type viewpoint why this makes sense for the hospital system as a whole, it ignores what I believe are true design and metallurgy superior characteristics that other manufacturers offer, particularly those manufactured by Johnson and Johnson - Depuy Orthopedics.
A drug that a hospital may decide it does not want to carry in its pharmacy, has relevance for your care only for the few days a person is in the hospital. Once you leave the hospital, if your doctor wants to put you back on Lipitor instead of Zocor for your cholesterol, it can then be done.
However, the decision of a hospital rather than your surgeon as to which Total Hip or Total Knee you can receive now has bearing for the rest of your life. Once the joint replacement has been surgically implanted, it is the hope that it will outlast you. Unfortunately, PREMIUM HIP AND KNEE IMPLANTS DO COST MORE, roughly 10 - 15%.
Although I have over the years enjoyed performing joint replacements at Baptist Health System Hospitals, I can still offer what I feel is the best Knee Replacement - J&J Depuy Sigma Rotating Platform Total Knee at Jackson South Hospital on SW 152nd Street at probably no additional cost to my patient. Unfortunately, even if a patient states that they are willing to pay the cost differential to a Baptist Facililty, due to exclusive contract rights that Baptist Health has agreed to with Stryker and Richards Smith-Nephew, they will not allow the premium implants to be used.
More info on J&J Depuy Orthopedics Rotating Platform Knee
More info on Rotating Platform Knees