Allegheny General Hospital Opens Orthopaedic Unit

By Allison M Heinrichs

Allegheny General Hospital announced today that it has opened a 20-bed unit that consolidates care for patients that require knee, hip, shoulder, elbow or ankle replacements.

The Center for Restorative Joint Surgery features private rooms, advanced technology and a rehabilitation gym.

“We believe the hospital experience is an integral part of the patient’s recovery,” Dr. Nicholas Sotereanos, director of the center and the Division of Adult Restorative Joint Surgery, said in a news release. “This Center combines the latest technological clinical advances with a soothing atmosphere for patients and their families that is designed to ease stress and expedite the recovery process.”

A nurse call system reduces noise by eliminating the need for overhead paging. Each nurse is equipped with a portable phone and tracer tag attached to their collar that contains an infrared sensor to track their location. When a patient calls for help using their bedside touchpad they are automatically connected to the nurse’s phone.

The hospital has 12 orthopaedic surgeons who perform joint surgeries, and did more than 900 joint replacement surgeries last year.

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