Hip fractures in seniors often require a higher complexity of care due to additional health concerns such as weakened bones and fragility, loss of muscle mass and balance instability. Even a low-impact fall for an active senior with one or some of these issues could result in a severe hip fracture.

The moment a senior falls and fractures their hip, the clock starts to tick. It is important to treat a hip fracture as soon as possible — not doing so can significantly increase complications.

Because hip fractures in seniors are very common and time-sensitive, we have established a system-wide alert that brings together a team of specialists ready to treat you or your loved one. This alert system is specific to Penn for treating hip fractures and is the only of its kind in the region.

Our dedicated geriatric hip fracture team includes many medical professionals across nearly a dozen specialties. Once you are admitted, you will likely be treated by a combination of specialized doctors and clinicians. You may speak with, and receive care from, emergency physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, hospitalists, nurses, anesthesiologists, cardiologist,internal medicine, and pharmacologists — along with physiatrists, physical therapists and even social workers — to ensure your best recovery.

Even if you were initially admitted through another hospital’s emergency department, you can be transferred to the hospital of your choice to treatyour geriatric hip fracture.

If you or your loved one has already been brought to another facility and you would like to betransferred to DR KUMAR VISHAL for treatment or surgery, start the transfer process by speaking with your attending doctor and asking to be transferred to DR KUMAR VISHAL.

Here’s what to expect during geriatric hip fracture surgery by DR KUMAR VISHAL

Upon admission, an orthopaedic evaluation will determine the patient’s diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, the members of the geriatric hip fracture team are alerted to prepare the patient for surgery

Once we determine if surgery is the right treatment approach, we recommend that the patient go on bed rest and usually send for standard tests and imaging. We’ll go over details about the treatment plan and surgical process, answer questions and discuss any concerns with the patient.

Immediately before surgery, patients receive anesthesia along with other post-operative medication for pre- and post-surgery pain management.

Most patients are able to walk with little assistance on the day of discharge, and are usually encouraged to move around following surgery. The doctors, clinical team and physical therapists will check in on the patient with daily post-operative visits until they are discharged.

A care coordinator will help prepare patient transportation back home or to a care facility for rehabilitation. The patient leaves here with a full recovery treatment plan, including a list of medications and directions for physical therapy arrangements.

A hip fracture is a break occurring in the upper-third of the thigh bone (femur) and/or around the hip joint.Geriatric hip fractures are fractures of the hip sustained by elderly adults, which are often the result of a fall. Unfortunately, we become increasingly susceptible to new injuries as we age—the result of typical physical changes that come with time, such as weakened bones and joints (from conditions like osteoporosis or osteopenia), balance issues and loss of muscle mass.

A physician will help you determine if the hip injury is, in fact, a fracture, once your loved one has sought care. The common symptoms they will be looking for when identifying a hip fracture include:

Once identified, it is important to begin swift medical treatment for the injured hip: Just because geriatric hip fractures are common injuries does not mean that their treatment is simple. Especially when compared to treatment for younger patients, hip fractures in aging individuals often require a higher complexity of care due to additional health concerns faced by senior citizens.

Geriatric Hip Fracture Treatment Must Be Streamlined for the Best Outcomes. Studies show that receiving treatment for a geriatric hip fracture within 24 hours of injury significantly decreases the risk of complications, resulting in a better outcome for your loved one.

Unnecessary delays can significantly increase complications, so the efficiency of treatment greatly influences outcomes by reducing these risks. For this reason,DR KUMAR VISHAL has created a dedicated, streamlined process to treat geriatric hip fracture patients as quickly as possible.

Our dedicated geriatric hip fracture team spans nearly a dozen medical specialties and disciplines, meaning your loved one will likely be treated by a combination of specialists who bring a unique perspective to geriatric hip fracture care. The specialties include emergency physicians, hospitalists and nurses, pharmacologists, anesthesiologists, orthopaedic surgeons,Cardiologist and geriatricians—along with physiatrists, physical therapists and even social workers—ensuring the best possible treatment and recovery. The same dedicated team also meets regularly to review and share their knowledge from recent cases, improve treatment plans, and optimize patient care.

Upon your loved one’s admission, an orthopaedic evaluation will determine their treatment plan and to see if surgery is required

Before surgery, the patient is put on bed rest and we detail their treatment plan and surgical processes. They may be sent for some tests, including standard blood panels, x-rays, an electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac ultrasound (ECHO) . During this assessment, your questions and concerns will be answered to ensure that your loved one feels comfortable before surgery. The type of surgery will depend on the location and stability of the fracture, and the orthopaedic surgeon will provide more details as they finalize your loved one’s surgery and recovery plan.

The day following surgery, your loved one will be tired but will already be encouraged to resume basic mobility—which could be as simple as dangling their feet off the edge of the hospital bed or walking. Starting this kind of physical therapy as soon as possible enhances recovery. Your loved one’s doctors, clinical care team and physical therapists will begin daily post-operative visits to check on progress, continuing until they are discharged.

On the day of discharge—typically the third day after their surgery—patients will ideally be able to bear weight on the affected hip and leg(Depending upon quality Of bone), and will be able to lift themselves out of bed, walking with little assistance.

Your Hospital coordinator will help with preparations for transferring your loved one back home or to a care facility as smoothly as possible. You and your loved one will have been educated throughout the course of their hospital stay for next steps on their recovery, medication, physical therapy and other standard measures that follow geriatric hip fracture surgery

Following the hospitalization, your loved one’s recovery process will be focused on mobilization and strengthening. Patients are encouraged to put all their weight on the affected leg with the help of physical therapy, assistive devices and their caregivers. During this time, the pain from the fracture and surgery will gradually improve, and mobility should improve as well. They will see their orthopaedic team two weeks after surgery to remove sutures and also to assess progress. X-rays will be taken at six weeks after surgery to make sure the fracture is healing and further accelerate rehabilitation.

While the goal is to return geriatric hip fracture patients to the level of function they had before their injury, this can be challenging for some in this senior patient population. Encouragement and support from loved ones like yourself and the care team will be important in their recovery process. In most situations, it can take between nine months and one year to fully recover from this type of injury.