St. Luke's Hospital Offers Second Surgical Guarantee
First Hospital in the Nation with Guarantee Program
Pelvic Prolapse Patients Enjoy Better Quality of Life
Bethlehem, PA (7/8/2009) – St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network will begin to offer a surgical guarantee as part of a partnership with urogynecologists at The Institute for Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (IFPM) in Allentown, PA. The guarantee is the second of its kind for St. Luke's.
Forty percent of all women aged 50 years and older are at risk for pelvic organ prolapse necessitating pelvic reconstructive surgery.
Multi-faceted Care Plan for Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery
St. Luke's and participating gynecologic surgeons have developed and implemented a multi-faceted care plan intended to direct the pre-operative and inpatient process for patients who undergo pelvic reconstructive surgery utilizing mesh at St. Luke's. If St. Luke's and its gynecologic surgeons do not follow the care plan, or if a patient develops specific complications directly related to the mesh pelvic reconstructive surgery within thirty (30) days of surgery, the patient and her insurance company will not be billed for services rendered by St. Luke's or participating gynecologic surgeons. GUARANTEED.
Dr. Vincent Lucente - Leader in Women's Health
Dr. Vincent Lucente
The guarantee was developed under the leadership of Vincent Lucente, MD, Chief of Urogynecology, St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network.
Dr. Vincent Lucente is an internationally recognized urogynecologist and reconstructive pelvic surgeon. Over his career, Dr. Lucente has been credited with being the first to perform many new surgical techniques. Dr. Lucente is an avid researcher with more than 20 years of experience in surgical research, medical device and pharmaceutical clinical trials in the fields of both gynecology and urogynecology.
"Pelvic organ prolapse is the loss of pelvic support that occurs when soft connective tissue that supports pelvic organs become stretched, weakened or torn," said to Dr. Lucente. "It is a very common disorder, particularly in older women. Common symptoms include loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty voiding, urinary frequency and problems with bowel movements, as well as feelings of pelvic or vaginal heaviness, bulging fullness and pain. These symptoms affect a woman's ability to participate in normal physical activities and interfere with her day to day life."
Minimally-Invasive Surgery Using Synthetic Mesh
The surgical procedure that St. Luke's and IFPM are guaranteeing is a minimally-invasive surgery using synthetic mesh to support pelvic organs. "The procedure offers promising long-term results for women with pelvic organ prolapse," said Dr. Lucente, "and allows patients to return to an active lifestyle."
Dr. Lucente performed surgery for Renee Mangano of Lansdale, who was very happy with the results and would recommend the procedure for other women.
"I am a very active and athletic female," she said. "Prior to the surgery I always had to make sure that I was prepared for an 'incident.' At best, my issues were an inconvenience, but often an embarrassment as well. I was seldom able to play a tennis match or a round of golf without having to make a change. One of my favorite things to do is to dance and that was rarely a thing that I was able to enjoy any longer. Since my surgery, so many aspects of my life have improved. I can relax and enjoy the sports that I love. It is a wonderful feeling not having to worry about having an embarrassing moment."
Dr. Lucente added, "The partnership between the hospital system and our practice is a trailblazing relationship enabling us to realize the concept of 'pay of performance' or 'non-payment for non performance'."
When developing the guarantee, the surgeons and hospital administrators developed a step-by-step plan based on research and clinical data that has demonstrated favorable outcomes for patients. The team approached those steps as a standard protocol for all four of the surgeons at IFPM, so that the same process is followed for each patient, every time – regardless of which surgeon performs the surgery. The resulting multi-faceted plan follows the patient prior to surgery, through the procedure, during her short hospital stay and during recovery.
"This guarantee exemplifies how a hospital and private physician practice work together to create protocols that adhere to a higher standard of quality care," said Donna Sabol, MSN, RN, Vice President, St. Luke's Chief Quality Officer. "This is the hospital's second surgical guarantee - the first was developed for robotic prostate surgery last September. We anticipate developing others based on the favorable response and outcomes we have received."
"We are proud to be able to offer this kind of clinical guarantee," said Joseph C. L. Merola, MD, St. Luke's Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "Creating this sort of partnership and offering a clinical guarantee ultimately benefits every woman who undergoes this surgery. Knowing that our patients have guaranteed care plans should provide women with every confidence in her surgeon, surgical team, this surgery and her outcome."
About St. Luke's
St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network is an integrated network of four non-profit hospitals and affiliated entities as well as 1,200 physicians. St. Luke's is a leading provider of care in eastern Pennsylvania.
St. Luke's also offers many centers of excellence including a fully accredited Level 1 trauma center, a nationally recognized open heart surgery program, oncology, neuroscience, orthopaedics, high-risk pregnancy, the region's busiest obstetrical service, robotic surgery, vascular disease and radiology (St. Luke's has been designated a General Electric Healthcare Global Show Site).