CJR surgeons to perform free joint replacement surgeries on 17 patients

More than 2 million Americans suffer from debilitating hip, knee and joint conditions. Severe joint pain and arthritis can affect almost all aspects of an individual's life, often preventing them from working, enjoying the activities they love and performing simple, everyday tasks. These issues can be compounded even further if these individuals do not have health insurance or are unable to pay for a procedure out of pocket.

This holiday season, there is hope for many Colorado patients who will receive restored mobility thanks to Operation Walk USA. Orthopedic surgeons with Colorado Joint Replacement (CJR) at Porter Adventist Hospital will perform 22 free joint replacement surgeries on 17 patients who otherwise could not afford them as part of Operation Walk USA December 2 - January 13, 2014. Porter Adventist Hospital is one of the largest Operation Walk USA sites in the country this year.

CJR and Porter Hospital arrange and cover the full cost of the knee and hip replacement procedures performed by top Denver surgeons and nurses volunteering their time to Operation Walk USA each year. Operation Walk USA patients are chosen following an extensive interview process with CJR and hospital staff. In total, Porter Adventist Hospital and the team at CJR will donate more than $1 million in materials, equipment and operating room time to cover these surgeries. During the first year of Operation Walk USA in Denver in 2011, CJR surgeons performed 9 free surgeries. Twelve procedures were performed in 2012.

"Hundreds of Coloradans are not only crippled by serious hip and knee conditions but also unable to access necessary medical care to alleviate their pain," said Douglas A. Dennis, M.D., executive director of Operation Walk Denver and a renowned orthopedic surgeon at CJR. "I am honored to help lead Operation Walk USA in Denver each year. Seeing lives transformed post-surgery reminds me of what we strive for with this organization, which is to give the gift of mobility back to those who are suffering."

Operation Walk USA is an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides free hip and knee replacement surgeries to patients in the U.S. CJR's Dr. Dennis serves on the organization's executive committee, helping to guide the organization's direction, involve hospitals, surgeons and medical implant companies in its mission and increase the number of free joint replacement procedures offered nationwide each year. Currently, Operation Walk Denver is one of the largest chapters of Operation Walk USA and includes as many as 45 health care volunteers at any given time.

Inspired by a mission trip to Nicaragua, Dr. Dennis started Operation Walk Denver in 2003 as part of Operation Walk, a global health campaign that provides free surgical treatments for patients in developing countries. Since its inception, Operation Walk Denver has sent highly trained health care professionals to countries such as Panama and Nicaragua at least twice annually who have successfully helped hundreds of people regain their mobility. In addition to performing the surgical procedures, Operation Walk educates local orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and other health care professionals in these countries on the most advanced treatment of hip and knee joint diseases.