Indianapolis, IN (December 3, 2012) – Dr. David Fisher, an OrthoIndy surgeon at Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital (IOH) will provide free hip or knee replacements to four patients on Dec. 7 as part of Operation Walk USA 2012.
While more than one million hip and knee replacements are performed in the U.S. each year, countless men and women continue to live with severe arthritic pain and immobility because they cannot afford joint replacement surgery.
Operation Walk USA 2012 provides all aspect of treatment – surgery, hospitalization and pre-and post-operative care – at no cost to participating patients.
Through Operation Walk USA 2012, 109 orthopaedic surgeons across the U.S. will provide free hip or knee replacements to more than 200 individuals in 29 states on December 7. IOH surgeon, Dr. Fisher is proud to be one of these participating orthopaedic surgeons.
“I have always done charity care and provided total joint services to people who are in severe pain from joint conditions that could benefit from total joint replacement,” said Dr. Fisher. “Operation Walk USA is a continuation of my mission to provide joint replacement procedures to those in need, regardless of ability to pay. I am happy and honored to be able to provide this life changing technology to those in need.”
Arthritic disease is the most common cause of disability in the U.S., affecting approximately 48 million Americans, or more than 21 percent of the adult population. The debilitating pain of end-stage hip or knee degenerative disease often makes working, or completing even the simplest of daily tasks, excruciatingly painful or impossible. Hip and knee replacement surgeries are the most cost-effective and successful of all orthopaedic procedures, eliminating pain and allowing patients to resume active, productive lives.
Operation Walk USA began in 2011 following the tremendous success of Operation Walk, an international volunteer medical service organization that provides treatment for patients with arthritis and joint conditions throughout the world. To date, more than 6,000 patients have received new knees and hips through the International Operation Walk.
“Operation Walk has created a lot of excitement from IOH employees who consistently mention that it feels good to be part of a charitable program here at IOH,” said Nina Whalen RN, APN-C, Manager of Clinical Outcomes at IOH. “There has been great support from administration and staff that are involved, as well as any department I have asked for donations or support.”
Operation Walk USA 2012 is a collaborative effort between three orthopaedic organizations and 49 participating hospitals, including IOH.
Device manufacturers Biomet, DePuy, MAKO Surgical, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, Total Joint Orthopedics (TJO), Inc. and Zimmer donated the hip and knee implants. Ortech Data, Inc. is providing a complimentary data system for OpWalkUSA patients. Ortech will provide this data to the national arthroplasty registry, the American Joint Replacement Registry.
For more information visit OpWalkUSA.com.
