OrthoKansas operates independently of Lawrence Memorial Hospital, but the two have a symbiotic relationship with most of the inpatient surgeries taking place at LMH. Outpatient surgeries are generally performed at Lawrence Surgery Center, which is half owned by the hospital, the other half by surgeons. Local patient retention and out-of-town referrals offer significant benefits to hospital’s economy. As to the reasons behind the massive increase in joint replacements, the brunt of the numbers fall on baby boomers and their desire to remain active. The fastest growing age group for total knee replacements is the 45-54 group, for whom the surgery is projected to grow 17 times by 2030. No longer for “old people,” hip and knee replacements are providing active boomers a new lease on life. “There have been studies that determined that hip surgery is the most cost-effective surgery to have,” Dr. Randall says. “It helps people to remain active and contribute to the working economy for a longer period of time.”
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