Steadman Clinic Surgeon Speaks at World’s Largest Educational Orthopaedic Conference

Members of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Gather in Las Vegas to Share Cutting-Edge Ideas

“Outpatient surgery is really the big buzz topic this year,” said The Steadman Clinic surgeon Dr. Raymond Kim. Dr. Kim recently delivered remarks at the annual American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) conference held in Las Vegas. He specializes in adult reconstruction of the knee and hip at The Steadman Clinic.

The five-day annual AAOS meeting draws thousands of orthopaedic surgeons from around the world. It is known as the largest venue for education and information sharing, as well as an opportunity to see hundreds of exhibits showing the latest instruments and techniques in orthopaedic surgery.

“It’s a great honor to speak at AAOS,” said Dr. Kim. “This year I was asked to talk about outpatient total joint replacements and the tools necessary to create a successful program. It’s a chance to showcase what we do at the The Steadman Clinic.

“When I started surgery in 2006, a patient with hip or knee replacement would stay in the hospital 3.6 days on average. By 2017 we got the average length of stay down to 1.1 days. We can now do the replacements as outpatient procedures. Our patients are literally in our hospital or surgery center for about three and a half hours after surgery is complete. There’s lots of data now that shows patient satisfaction rates are higher and patient outcomes are better. It’s been game- changing.

“Whether you’re a pro athlete or you like to take walks, the principles are still the same. It’s all rooted in the philosophy of The Steadman Clinic’s founder and world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Richard Steadman. He believed in getting people back on their feet quickly. He was big on research, tracking his data and improving patient care. That’s the foundation of how we work at The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI).”

Dr. Kim started his education with degrees in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University with no intention of ever becoming a surgeon.

“I thought I was going to work for a biomedical engineering company to design medical devices,” said Dr. Kim. “But when I graduated, companies were looking for someone who had work experience or a master’s degree, of which I had neither. So, the truth is – I couldn’t get a job. Medicine was actually plan B!”

Dr. Kim recently celebrated two years working at The Steadman Clinic. During that time, he built a brand-new joint replacement clinic from scratch.

“We have now performed more than 1,400 joint replacements,” said Dr. Kim. “It’s critical to have an awesome team to support that work, including leadership that understands our mission to grow the joint replacement program and take it to a whole new level. We’ve had a great start and we’re still making progress.”