Southeast Missouri Hospital has established a new joint replacement center.

Hospital officials announced the new service Thursday.

James W. Wente, hospital administrator, said joint replacement surgery has been offered at the hospital for several years, but the centralized treatment area is new.

Joint replacement surgery has been offered at both Cape Girardeau hospitals since about 1972, said Dr. William Kapp, an orthopedic surgeon.

"What we're really looking at doing is changing the way the patients are treated during their hospital stays," Kapp said.

Brenda Nicolai, Southeast's director of rehabilitation services, said patients in the center are up on their feet two days after surgery to begin physical therapy.

Therapy includes range of motion and strengthening exercises.

The unit includes seven private rooms, a physical therapy area and a dining area.

Joint replacement is usually done to address severe joint pain. Osteoarthritis -- "old age" arthritis -- is the most common cause of severe joint pain, Kapp said.

Knee, hip, shoulder and elbow joints can be replaced, he said. In some cases, the small joints in the fingers may also be replaced.

Nationally, about 500,000 joint replacement procedures are performed a year.

Since the first patient was admitted Aug. 5, seven joint replacement procedures have been performed in the new center, Wente said. He estimates about 300 procedures a year will be performed in the new center.

Elsie Durham of McClure, Ill., was undergoing physical therapy Thursday after having knee replacement surgery Monday.

"I haven't been doing much of anything," Durham said. "I've been walking and straightening out the leg."