The decision to undergo joint replacement is never an easy one to make. It is usually considered when all other alternatives have failed. In addition to the surgery itself, most people also worry about spending too many days away from home recovering in a hospital.
With advancements in surgical procedures, pain management and enhanced recovery protocols, outpatient joint replacement is now possible. This means you may be allowed to return home on the same day as the surgery.
For relatively healthy patients who wish to return to work or the activities they enjoy sooner, outpatient joint replacement offers many benefits:
- Lower risk of infection: Chances of getting Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) are higher the longer you stay in a hospital.
- Optimized pain control: The use of preemptive analgesia, nerve blocks, and multimodal pain protocols ensure effective pain control with minimal need for narcotic pain medication.
- Fewer blood transfusions: The advanced surgical techniques and medications used to prevent bleeding ensure patients require fewer blood transfusions.
- Recover in the comfort of home: Recuperating in the familiar environment of your home generally allows you to be more comfortable during your recovery and start getting back into your normal routine faster.
- Accelerated rehabilitation protocols: Ppatients are encouraged to start walking on the same day as the surgery and begin doing exercises on their own almost immediately.
Are you the right candidate for Outpatient Joint Replacement?
Outpatient joint replacement may be the right option for you if you are in overall good health except for the damaged joint and have a positive mental attitude. Age is not a factor to worry about if you do not suffer from any medical ailments. Not everyone is a good candidate and this should be discussed with your surgeon.
Ensuring that you have appropriate support from family or friends is important. Also, if you have been a physically active person prior to surgery and are willing to actively participate in the physical therapy program (on your own or with formal therapy) as recommended by your doctor, you are likely to have successful outpatient surgery. Feel free to contact us for an evaluation and to see if you are a candidate.
