At Cheshire, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality care in the safest possible setting for our community members. By now offering outpatient total joint surgeries, we are once again driving forward that mission.
Joseph Perras, MD, president and CEO of Cheshire Medical CenterCheshire Medical Center is increasing access to total joint surgeries by now offering knee, hip and shoulder procedures on an outpatient basis.
Cheshire County has one of the oldest populations in New Hampshire, and as community members continue to age, the demand for total joint replacements has grown. In 2023, Cheshire performed 351 inpatient shoulder, hip and knee replacement procedures, compared to 222 in 2022.
To help meet the need, Cheshire’s orthopaedic team began providing these outpatient surgeries in early November, partially made possible by the increase in its orthopaedic providers earlier this year. Patients who received total joint surgeries previously were often staying in the hospital for one to two nights.
“At Cheshire, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality care in the safest possible setting for our community members,” said Joseph Perras, MD, president and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center. “By now offering outpatient total joint surgeries, we are once again driving forward that mission.”
Nationally, projections indicate more than 50% of total joint procedures will be performed in the outpatient setting by 2026, with that number continuing to increase through 2030. This is due to a variety of factors, including improved surgical techniques and technology. Patients will also likely experience less pain and have a faster recovery time, which can be done at home.
Because of this, hospitals nationwide have begun providing these outpatient procedures. Cheshire joins other Dartmouth Health members offering this care, consisting of: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
“There have been an array of improvements in the surgical technique and technologies for more minimally invasive options that lead to less post-operative blood loss and pain,” said Vivek Venugopal, MD, orthopaedic physician at Cheshire Medical Center. “We’re excited to start this program up and offer what other sites in the DH system have been able to offer patients over the last couple years.”
Cheshire’s rollout of outpatient total joint surgeries happened simultaneously with its launch of robotic arthroplasty surgical tools, another way proven to lessen pain and give patients a faster recovery time.
With these methods working in tandem, Cheshire is moving forward its mission of improving patient outcomes and care.
To schedule an outpatient total joint surgery or other orthopaedic care, call 603-354-5482. More information can be found at cheshiremed.org/orthopaedics.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.