Corinth Resident Has Surgery Center’s First Outpatient Hip Replacement
CORINTH, Mississippi—"I’m able to enjoy my life again without physical limitations,” says Jan Meinardi of Corinth, who recently had hip replacement surgery at North Mississippi Surgery Center in Tupelo. “I didn’t expect such a great outcome so fast.”
Meinardi has osteoarthritis and had suffered with her right hip for many years. “I was limping and favoring the other leg,” she said. “I had already graduated to using a cane. I couldn’t sweep or walk any distance, and if I went shopping, I had to stop and rest.”
Once it started interfering with her quality of life, she sought help from Orthopaedic Institute of North Mississippi in Tupelo. She tried steroid injections, which offered limited relief, before resorting to surgery. “I appreciated that someone from the hospital’s Joint Replacement Center met with me beforehand so I would know exactly what to expect,” she said. “They gave me a packet of information about surgery that also included exercises, and they arranged everything for my therapy afterward.”
On Oct. 11, 2021, Meinardi became the first patient to have outpatient hip replacement surgery at North Mississippi Surgery Center. Orthopaedic surgeon Jeb Williams, M.D., performed the minimally-invasive procedure using an anterior hip approach. Dr. Williams made a small incision near the front of Meinardi’s hip to remove damaged bone and cartilage and implant an artificial hip. The anterior method is considered “muscle sparing” because it does not involve cutting into (and later repairing) muscles and tendons to reach the damaged bone and tendon.
Shortly after surgery, Meinardi was walking the hallway, and by mid-afternoon she was headed home. “I was thrilled that Dr. Williams could do the procedure at the Surgery Center and I didn’t have to stay in the hospital,” she said. “The staff there was fabulous.”
Meinardi used a walker the first week after surgery and a cane the second week. A physical therapist came to her home the next two weeks for therapy sessions, followed by a short round of outpatient physical therapy. “By November, I was able to walk up to two miles a day,” Meinardi said. “I was stopping because of stamina, not because of pain.”
Meinardi’s friends are amazed at her progress. “I’m looking forward to being able to shop again and get in the pool and swim,” she said. “We’re planning a trip out West, and I’m looking forward to being able to travel and explore. I’m better than I have been in years.”
To learn more about joint replacement options, call 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375) or visit www.nmhs.net/jrc.
