Top orthopedic treatment

Recognized for excellence

• Good Samaritan Hospital was named a Blue Distinction Center for hip and knee replacement and spine surgery. This honor was awarded to us because we meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes for knee, hip and spine surgery.
• Good Samaritan Hospital was named one of the “100 Hospitals with Great Orthopedic Programs” by Becker’s Hospital Review.

State-of-the-art care

• Our orthopedic surgeons specialize in advanced, minimally invasive techniques - including anterior hip replacement - for total joint replacement. These procedures offer smaller incisions, faster recovery, less post-operative pain and a lower risk of infection.
• We're home to the only 3D navigation system for spine surgery in DuPage County, giving you more precise results.

Patient-first approach

• Our nurse navigator will act as your personal guide and manage all aspects of your treatment.
• As part of our unique care management system, a care manager will monitor your progress every day and help ensure you receive the most efficient treatment.
• Patients who have total joint replacement surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital consistently give it high marks when it comes to patient satisfaction.
• Our total joint replacement program is consistently ranked in the top decile for patient satisfaction in the national database - including hospitals from across the country.

• Hip dysplasia
• Hip pain or injury
• Knee pain or injury
• Lower back pain or injury
• Neck pain or injury
• Osteoporosis
• Scoliosis
• Shoulder pain or injury
• Spinal stenosis
• Tennis elbow

Knee joint replacement: Our knee replacements allow you to get back to your normal activity - without pain - approximately two to three months after surgery.

Hip joint replacement: Our surgeons specialize in the minimally invasive anterior hip approach for hip joint replacement. Rather than surgically accessing the hip from the side or back, our surgeons go in from the front. Using this approach, our surgeons aren't cutting any muscle - resulting in less pain and a faster recovery.

3D spine surgery: With DuPage County’s only 3D navigation system for spine surgery, Good Samaritan Hospital offers you the most advanced treatment for spinal fusion. Our surgeons use this technology to treat conditions like scoliosis, kyphosis and degenerative disc disease. Benefits include improved precision, lower risk of complication and faster recovery.

Registration and insurance:

• A Good Samaritan Hospital clerk will register you. You’ll need your contact information and insurance information.
• Your insurer will verify if Good Samaritan Hospital is in your network. Or, you can look up participating insurance plans.
• Check with your insurance provider to verify your coverage for your specific procedure.
• Additionally, we may not employ some providers on your surgical team - such as anesthesiologists. They may have separate contracts with insurance plans. Your coverage for these services may be different than the coverage for the hospital. Please check with your insurance carrier.

Your health history: The next step in preparing for your surgery involves a nurse taking a complete health history. The pre-surgical testing nurse will call you to discuss the following:

• Your medication list, complete with dosages
• Your history of past surgeries and medical conditions
• The names and phone numbers of your doctors

The nurse will use this information, along with orders from your doctor, to determine what testing you will need prior to surgery. The nurse will work closely with your surgeon's office to:

• Order and evaluate your tests
• Answer all your questions
• Address your concerns

Pre-surgical testing: Your care team will determine where you need to complete any testing based on your insurance requirements and/or your preference. You may have the option to choose Good Samaritan Hospital or one of our convenient outpatient centers. 

• Your nurse may review your test results or other medical issues with a doctor to determine your readiness for your procedure.
• Your nurse will review information tailored to your unique situation, including medication instructions.
• For more detailed information, please download our patient booklet in English or Spanish.

Advance directives: You'll be asked whether you have current advance directives - legal documents that allow you to express your end-of-life care decisions and wishes in the event that you're unable to make those decisions yourself.

While these forms are not mandatory, we advise adults to complete them thoughtfully. You can download these forms at:

• Living Will - PDF format (En Español)
• Durable Power of Attorney - PDF format (En Español)

More information: To contact the pre-surgical testing department, call 630-275-2002.

Preparing for your return home:

Discharge planning: Your doctor will talk to you about your discharge plans before your surgery. Most people return home shortly after orthopedic surgery. While at home, you’ll continue physical and occupational therapy. You may also need additional nursing care.

If you need more comprehensive care, it may be necessary to go to:

• A skilled nursing facility where nursing and therapy services are provided
• An inpatient rehabilitation facility where frequent doctor/medical care, nursing and therapy services are provided

Our nurse navigator will assist you with arrangements for ongoing care as needed, including:

• Equipment needs
• Home health care
• Skilled nursing facility placement

Prepare your home: Before you come to the hospital for your procedure, take the following steps to get your home ready:

• Remove clutter and throw rugs. Remove or tape down any cords/wires. Know where flooring is uneven.
• Have all areas of the home well lit (consider night lights in bathrooms and bedrooms).
• Widen pathways so you can move through your home with an assistive device, such as a walker or crutches.
• Add railings to stairs if you don’t have any. Consider installing grab bars in the bathroom for assistance standing.
• Move things you use often to areas where you can reach them easily.
• Prepare meals and freeze them to simplify cooking.
• Arrange for help with shopping and transportation.

After surgery

Inpatient physical and occupational therapy:

Physical and occupational therapy are crucial to improving your mobility and strength and helping you regain your independence after surgery. Your therapy will begin in the hospital immediately after your surgery.

• Physical therapy: Our physical therapy team will personalize a program for you that focuses on the activities you do on a daily basis.
• Occupation therapy: Our occupational therapy team works with you to master activities you need for daily living, such as bathing, dressing and walking to the bathroom.

Therapy goals for your hospital stay:

• Get in and out of bed safely.
• Walk safely with a walker, crutches or a cane, as directed by your doctor.
• Complete your exercise program with minimal assistance.
• Bathe yourself with minimal assistance.
• Dress yourself with minimal assistance.

Outpatient rehabilitation:

As directed by your doctor, you’ll continue with outpatient rehabilitation after you go home. Ongoing rehabilitation will help improve your functioning and mobility and build your strength.

Caring for yourself at home

When you get home from the hospital, you need to be prepared to take care of yourself. Before your surgery, plan ahead to ensure that your recovery goes smoothly at home by following these tips:

• Ask a family member, significant other or friend to help you at home the first day or two. You should not be at home alone the first night after your surgery.
• Arrange for child care if you have young children. You should not plan on caring for them alone the first day after you return home.
• Your surgeon will give you instructions about the activity level you should maintain at home.
• Generally, you may be up and about if you are comfortable. Avoid strenuous activity (i.e. pushing or pulling heavy objects).
• You can go up and down stairs, depending on how well you have done with stairs during therapy.
• Follow your exercise instructions.
• Sit in chairs that provide adequate support and have arms that you can use to help yourself stand up.
• Don’t cross your legs when you sit or stand.
• Ask for help putting on shoes and socks.
• Continue wearing your elastic TED hose as your surgeon instructs. Remember to remove your TED hose every day.
• You may bathe or shower as your surgeon instructs.
• Do not drive until your physician gives you the OK.
• Keep your incision clean and dry. Change your dressing as instructed (if you have one).
• Get plenty of rest.
• If you have a nerve block, a home health nurse will remove the tube after you go home.

Notify your surgeon if you have:

• Redness and/or swelling at the incision site
• Drainage from the surgical incision
• Pain in the calf of your leg or increased swelling in your leg
• A fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit
• Pain that is not controlled by your medication

Other reminders:

• Remember that your new joint may set off metal detectors in airports and other places.
• Let your doctor or dentist know before you have other procedures or surgery done. You may need antibiotics before these procedures to help prevent infection.