Dana Lewis

....but at Swedish, it's definitely not ours.

If you have advanced arthritis in part of your knee, robotic-assisted surgery is a great way to go. The incision is smaller. Recovery time is faster. And the surgery is more accurate for better knee function down the road.

So where should you go? Well, Swedish was the first in the Puget Sound area to perform MAKOplasty for partial knee replacements, and we’ve done more of them than any hospital in the region.

Come learn more from a Swedish orthopedic surgeon at one of our seminars, and take the first step toward a pain-free life. Or, watch the below video to see highlights from a partial knee replacement procedure:

Call 206-386-2502 or register online at www.swedish.org/classes
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6–8 p.m. OR Thursday, Feb. 16, 6–8 p.m.
Swedish Orthopedic Institute 601 Broadway, Seattle
(Corner of Broadway and Cherry St. – Hourly parking available under the building)

As we enter the holiday season, it usually means we're running to more parties and more opportunities to indulge in tasty treats and drinks. But did you think about what exactly is in your holiday cocktails?

Dr. Lindquist from Swedish Weight Loss Services has some tips for eating at holiday gatherings.

And he offers some tips for preventing holiday weight gain:

Chef Eric has some tips for healthy holiday drinks, and you can make them yourself with the recipes below!

If you’ve ever wanted to sit in the gallery of Grey’s Anatomy and watch a surgery, we have something for you that’s a little more powerful. On Friday, we invite you to tune in to a livestream of a procedure that changes patients’ lives.

On Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PST), Drs. Ron Young and Ryder Gwinn, surgeons from the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, will host a livestream on this page to discuss the affects of Essential Tremor (ET), the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgical procedure used to treat ET and the other innovative treatment options for ET available at Swedish and throughout the country.

ET is a progressive neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs or trunk. It is often confused with Parkinson’s disease and is often un-diagnosed.

The livestream will feature a video stream of a recorded DBS surgical procedure performed at Swedish, accompanied by a live web chat led by Drs. Young and Gwinn. The DBS device is like a pacemaker for the brain. During the surgery, a tiny wire is implanted in the area of the brain that controls abnormal movement. This wire modifies the brain’s electrical signals to help control tremors and other abnormal movements.

It gets better

Not only will you have a front seat (from the comfort of home or wherever your mobile device is) to see a life-changing surgical procedure, but you can also ask questions live to our surgeons about the surgery, essential tremor, and any other related questions you may have (like what is Gamma Knife?). And, we’ll have patients who will share their stories about the procedure and how it has changed their lives – for the better.

Tune in on Friday

You can watch the livestream ...

Our medical director for quality and patient safety, Mary Gregg, MD, MHA, blogs about Swedish's Top Hospital Award:

Of all the awards Swedish has won over the years, the most meaningful is the Top Hospital Award given by the Washington, D.C.-based Leapfrog Group. I am very proud to announce that Swedish has earned the award once again this year: The Leapfrog Group today named Swedish/First Hill among the nation’s 2011 Top Hospitals.

The reason this award is such an honor for us is that our physicians, nurses and other staff have been working tirelessly for years to develop a culture of safety and quality on behalf of our patients. This award validates their efforts because it is based on performance on key quality and safety metrics. Of 1,200 hospitals nationally, Swedish is one of only 65 in the country that are meeting these standards.

I want to use this opportunity to acknowledge our staff for their commitment to quality and safety and to thank them for everything they do for our patients on a daily basis. I also want to acknowledge our hospital in Ballard. Although that campus is not eligible for a Leapfrog designation because it doesn’t provide intensive care services, Swedish/Ballard also scored in the top 10 percent of all Leapfrog hospitals for the second year in a row.

The Leapfrog Group is a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage founded a decade ago to work for improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability. The annual survey is the only voluntary effort of its kind. To learn more, read our news release or visit www.leapfroggroup.org.

Hopefully, you won't have a stroke. But if you do, do you know what to do? Why is it important that you get to an emergency room quickly? Knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke could help save your life or the life of a loved one. How do you lessen your risk of having another stroke? Is your family at increased risk? Dr. William Likosky, director of Swedish Stroke and Telestroke programs, explains.

(Click here to see the entire playlist and other questions answered about stroke, including why follow up care is so important.)

If you’re expecting or thinking about having a baby, finding the right doctor is a pretty good place to start this incredible journey. But how to find the right doctor? You could try OB Speed Dating.

When you come to OB Speed Dating, you’ll meet several doctors who will deliver at our beautiful new campus located in the Issaquah Highlands starting November 1. By participating in a 'speed dating' session, you can get to know them in a fun, low-key environment. You are able to participate in five-minute one-on-one interviews with each obstetrician or family-practice doctor with an OB specialty. If you hit it off with one, then you can make a follow-up appointment when you’re ready to start your care.

Before and after the speed-dating interviews, you can exchange notes with other parents, learn about prenatal care and Swedish classes for expectant and new parents and take a mini-tour of the new campus.

To sign up for the next OB Speed Dating session (on November 17 at Swedish/Issaquah), visit www.swedish.org/baby. Pre-registration is required.

Our medical director for quality and patient safety, Mary Gregg, MD, MHA, blogged for the Washington State Medical Association about medication safety - what we as patients can do to help keep us safe:

Medications fight illnesses, prevent disease and help improve quality of life. But it’s important to take them safely and as directed.

As a cardiac surgeon, I’ve seen the consequences of not taking medications properly. I once had a heart attack patient come to the hospital. After a successful surgery inserting a stent to prevent blockage in his artery, he was discharged with a prescription for a medication to prevent clots. For one reason or another, the patient didn’t fill his prescription as instructed for several days and he ended up in the ER for emergency heart surgery.

Some easy simple steps to prevent medication errors: