Patient Resources

By keeping track of implants and how well they work for a large group of members, it's easier for you and your health team to figure out which implant is right for you. By collecting and analyzing this information for all Kaiser Permanente members nationwide, we can better answer your questions, address your concerns, and give you the latest information on your surgery and your implant. "We now are utilizing the power of computers and our electronic medical record system to capture, track, and research the overall health of our members," says Jed Weissberg, MD, Senior Vice President, Quality and Care Delivery Excellence. "Kaiser Permanente currently keeps registries for members with many chronic conditions and who have received implanted orthopedic and cardiac devices. And we are developing additional tools that will enable our clinicians to use these powerful techniques across the spectrum of medical care."

Improving the quality of care

Data from the implant registry helps us predict your risk for complications, such as infection and pain after surgery. By understanding your risks, we're better able to manage your care before and after surgery to decrease the chance of complications. "Our internal registries extend our knowledge from published medical studies to how these implanted medical products perform in Kaiser Permanente members," says Robin Cisneros, National Director, Medical Technology Assessment and Products. "That allows our members and physicians to make the best choices about their care."

Increasing patient safety

In rare cases when joint replacements are recalled by the implant company or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the registry allows us to identify instantly all the members who may be affected. This lets us connect your surgeon with the implant company and the FDA quickly and accurately in case something needs to be done. "When a recall occurs, having a national registry is a huge step forward in how fast we can reach our members," says Sally Saba, MD, National Director, Product Safety and Recall. "The bottom line is that we can save lives by getting to our members well before a recalled device fails."

What types of registries does Kaiser Permanente have?

Total Joint Replacement Registry (TJRR)

The TJRR is Kaiser Permanente's first national implant registry and the largest community-based total joint replacement registry in the United States. We have more than 120,000 procedures in our database to help us make the best clinical decisions for members who have knee or hip replacement. The TJRR helps us track complications such as infections and revisions so we can prevent these problems and so our surgeons know which implants are best for you. "I used to suffer the time-consuming burden of maintaining my own accurate and up-to-date surgical records," says Kaiser Permanente orthopedic surgeon Eric Yue, MD. "Now, with the help of TJRR, that information is collected and analyzed automatically. I can give my patients the safest care by combing through the evidence from tens of thousands of cases. In the past, that was something you could only get at a handful of top medical centers in the entire country.

Learn more about the TJRR.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Registry (ACLR)

The ACLR registry is the largest of its kind in the United States. This registry has more than 13,500 procedures registered. Similar to the TJRR, the ACLR tracks implants, demographics, techniques, and outcomes. The ACLR also tracks member-reported outcomes to see which techniques and implants results in the best possible outcomes for our members.

Learn more about the ACLR.

Spine Registry

The Spine Registry is one of our newest registries designed to track specific spinal implants. In addition to implants, this registry records surgical spine procedures, techniques, patient outcomes and complications. Currently, our medical centers in Southern California, Northern California, the Northwest, and Hawaii participate in the Spine Registry. "There have been significant technological advances in the treatment of spinal disorders during the past decade, but little has been done to evaluate the effects of these advances," says Kaiser Permanente Neurosurgery spine surgeon Kern Guppy, MD, PhD. "Our Spine Registry tracks medical outcomes after members have had spinal procedures. This provides valuable information on the best spinal procedures not just for our members but for the rest of the country." The Spine Registry currently has more than 10,000 cases registered.

Learn more about the Spine Registry.

Hip Fracture Registry

Hip Fracture Registry is a project that supports the study of hip fracture surgeries from 2009 to present. The registry includes the classification of fractures, technical procedures, implant use, and outcomes. The purpose of this Registry is to improve the quality of care that we provide to hip fracture patients. The Registry goals are to improve care and rehabilitation, lower length of hospital stay, and reduce complications.

Learn more about the Hip Fracture Registry.

Cardiac Device Registry (CDR)

Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs), Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices (CRTs), and Pacemakers are implants that are used to regulate the rhythm of the heart. These implants are complex and involve different components such as leads and battery-powered generators. The Cardiac Device Registry tracks implants, demographics, and other clinical factors associated with members who require implanted cardiac rhythm devices. This registry looks at outcomes to help identify devices that are best suited to particular patients. Kaiser Permanente Cardiac Electrophysiologist Michael Lauer, MD notes that “The registry provides us with an indispensable platform for longitudinal follow-up of patients and key clinical variables including therapeutic benefits of these devices."

Learn more about the CDR.

Heart Valve Replacement Registry

Heart valve replacement is a complex surgery. The Heart Valve Registry was developed to track patient outcomes and complications following heart valve surgical procedures, including mitral, aortic, pulmonic, and tricuspid. The registry records the specific type of implant used for valve repair or valve replacement. There are different types of valves that can be implanted (such as tissue and mechanical), and the registry can help your surgeon determine the best option for you.

Learn more about the Heart Valve Registry.

Shoulder Arthroplasty Registry

Shoulder arthroplasty is a well-known treatment for a variety of shoulder conditions. The Shoulder Arthroplasty Registry is a project that prospectively tracks patient complications, outcomes, and demographics, in addition to surgical techniques and implant types for total shoulder, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, and humeral head resurfacing procedures. This newly established registry will allow us to improve the care we provide our shoulder arthroplasty patients.

Learn more about the Shoulder Arthroplasty Registry.

Additional registry information

What do members need to do to participate?