Robyn Hakanson, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and blood management expert from the Northern Medical Group in Mount Airy, North Carolina, was presented on January 6, 2015 with the Innovator of the Year Award by Medtronic Advance Energy, a maker of electrosurgical products.
Dr. Hakanson – Medtronic Advance Energy “Innovator of the Year”
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She was recognized for a poster presentation at the 2013 American Association of Blood Banks annual meeting.
The poster, “The Economic Impact of a Comprehensive Clinical and Surgical Blood Management Program for Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty in a Community Hospital, ” was based on data that showed that less than 2% of Dr. Hakanson’s primary total joint replacement patients required a transfusion after surgery, “Which meant less risk, better outcomes, a shorter hospital stay and healthier patients overall, ” according to a statement announcing the award.
Blood Management
“As surgeons we are constantly looking for ways to improve the patient experience of surgery, but to also stop the rapid rise of medical costs, ” said Dr. Hakanson. “Blood management is a program that begins when the decision for surgery is made as my team and I work to optimize a patient’s pre-operative hemoglobin (blood count) through healthy eating, vitamins, and occasionally medication, and continues through the surgery and into the post-operative period as we strive to have a healthier patient and reduce or eliminate the need for a blood transfusion.”
Dr. Hakanson is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon and a fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. She received her medical training at the Duke University School of Medicine and the Insall Scott Kelly Institute in New York, New York, in a fellowship for adult reconstruction and sports medicine.
She serves as the medical director of the Northern Hospital Joint Replacement Program and the Orthopaedic Patient Care Management team and is a founding member of the non-profit organization Women’s Orthopaedic Global Outreach (WOGO). She and her husband, Erik, reside in Mount Airy with their three children.
WOGO provides free orthopedic surgery to eliminate debilitating arthritis and restore disabled joints so that women can reclaim their ability to care for themselves, their families and communities. The organization also trains in-country surgeons and other healthcare professionals in specialized orthopedic skills and technologies.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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