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Surgery options on the rise in Redmond

When 76-year-old Francis Klontz realized he needed double knee replacement surgery, the retired minister said he hoped he could have the operations completed in Redmond. He also hoped that Dr. James Hall , a Bend orthopedic surgeon he had heard good things about, would be available to complete the surgery.

Both of Klontz’s wishes came true. Hall replaced Klontz’s left knee in May and his right knee at the end of July at the Redmond hospital. “I live in Redmond,” Klontz said, as he recovered from the second surgery. “I prefer having it done here. My wife stayed with me the first night and it’s nice that I’m where she can come and visit.”

Knee replacements are just one of many surgeries offered at St. Charles Redmond, said Peter Mersereau, Perioperative Services manager. With the opening of the JELD-WEN Tower at St. Charles Redmond two years ago, Cascade Healthcare Community added state-of-the-art surgical suites to the facility. The organization has been investing in technology to encourage more physicians to perform a variety of operations at the Redmond facility.

Within the past year, Mersereau said, the hospital invested in a Stryker navigation system that allows orthopedic surgeons to improve the surgical performance and clinical outcomes of knee replacement surgery. The navigation software and instrumentation communicate via radio frequency to create an image-guided system. The physician uses the computer generated image to make sure the knee replacement device is aligned correctly.

Hand surgeons have also made a commitment to Redmond, conducting operations there a few times a month. And, Mersereau said, all types of general surgeries including gallbladder removal, hernia repair and bowel resections are common at the facility. Within the last year, surgeons began performing ear, nose and throat surgeries in Redmond as well. Mersereau said the service was added to allow patients from Redmond and surrounding areas to have tonsillectomies and other ear, nose and throat surgeries closer to home.

“We’re always looking at different specialties and advancements in current specialties to see if it makes sense for us,” Mersereau said.

Patrick Varga, St. Charles Redmond administrator, said he hopes community members will see the advancements and additions in care and choose to visit the hospital for their surgical needs. From Francis Klontz’s perspective, he wouldn’t have liked to have his knees replaced anywhere else.

“My care has been great both times,” Klontz said. “I’d recommend it to anyone.”