John’s hips, before and after his double hip replacement.

This November, John came to Humber River Hospital for his double hip replacement surgery and was discharged in just over 24 hours.

His surgeon – Humber’s Dr. Sebastian Rodriguez – uses a piece of equipment called the Hana Table to perform hip replacement surgery through the front of a patient’s hip between the muscles. His approach spares tissue and requires less surgical dissection, meaning less bleeding and less trauma for the patient and a faster recovery time.

John’s hip replacement journey began like many people in need of a hip replacement; he started experiencing hip pain in his everyday life. His discomfort grew to the point where he visited his physician at Medcan, who referred him to Dr. Rodriguez, who determined that both hips would need to be replaced.

John needed time to think about it. After all, many of his friends and colleagues cautioned him about doing both hips at the same time.

“You never do two at once!” his friends warned him.

John and his partner Libby, the morning after his hip replacement surgery.

John decided to do his own research and came to learn about Dr. Rodriguez’ Direct Anterior Approach (DAA) at Humber and the difference it was making in people’s lives. He realized that if he was going to have his hips replaced, DAA was the way to go, and he made an appointment with Dr. Rodriguez.

“My entire experience was impeccable,” he told us, “from start to finish, the staff were friendly and compassionate – in every area of the Hospital.”

John and his partner Libby arrived early for his surgery the morning of November 27^th even before the Surgical Registration Desk opened.  Libby remembered, “The clerk at registration took us as soon as she got to her desk. She didn’t want us to wait – I was blown away!”

John told us, “The vibe in the operating room was so positive. They were playing rock music – it just set a nice, relaxed tone. I felt I was in good hands, no one was stressed. When they noticed I was cold, they brought me a warm blanket, even though I would be asleep within minutes – they wanted me to be comfortable the entire time. I’ll never forget that.”

While he was in surgery, Libby was able to receive text messages updating her on John’s progress, thanks to STERIS RealView technology.

“Being able to get text messages throughout the whole process gave me so much peace of mind, you have no idea,” she told us.

Libby received text updates on John’s surgical journey, thanks to STERIS RealView technology.

John was discharged the following day, just after 2pm.

“I was blown away with Humber the minute I walked into the building – the technology the team has championed here helps the entire healthcare system,” John said to us. “An investment in Humber is an investment in healthcare; my minimally invasive surgery meant less recovery time, less time in the Hospital and less financial strain on the system as a whole.”