Joint replacement surgery has come a long way in recent years – and both full and partial joint replacements can now be done on an outpatient basis. Joint replacement used to require a two- to three-week stay in the hospital, but now the patient is back up and walking with a walker or crutches within about 24 hours of the surgery.
Even with these advances, there is still a considerable recovery period after a knee replacement or hip replacement. However, convalescing at home is consistently a quicker process than when it is done in a hospital or a live-in rehabilitation center. Plus, the patient is less likely to suffer infections when at home, because the patient is not being exposed to the germs of other patients.
How Outpatient Arthroplasty Is Beneficial
Arthroplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to repair and replace joint tissues with prosthetic materials. Many orthopedic doctors perform this type of joint replacement surgery as an outpatient surgery so that the patient can recuperate in the comfort of their own home.
A physical therapist will come to the patient’s home the very next day. Doctors have learned that quick therapy is important to speedy healing, and not allowing the joint to settle. The therapist will help get the joint back to being functional and regaining any lost range and strength.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Outpatient Joint Replacement?
If the patient was fairly ambulatory prior to the surgery, they will recover much more quickly than those who were not. Also, those patients who are generally healthy – without having diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic illness – tend to respond much better to this and to any other type of outpatient surgery.
Having surgery on an outpatient basis will also decrease costs as compared to inpatient treatment. A recent study found an $8,500 average increase in the cost of having a joint replaced as an inpatient process rather than outpatient.
Patients will also sleep better in their own bed while they recover at home. Those who have inpatient surgery will have nurses coming in at all hours of the night to perform blood pressure readings and check the patient’s vitals.
People who used a walker or wheelchair before joint replacement surgery will likely be recommended for inpatient surgery instead, so the medical staff can monitor how the patient’s body is responding to the operation. This is also true for those who have diabetes, heart disease, or a clotting disorder.
Orthopedic Surgeons in Naples, FL
If you are in the Naples area and are having problems or pain in your knee, hip, shoulder, or other joint, see our team of medical professionals at Joint Replacement Institute. We specialize in repairing musculoskeletal issues and minimizing joint pain to the greatest extent possible. We also have a complete offering of podiatric care for treating diabetes and foot issues.
We have convenient office hours every weekday, and we are conveniently located on Pine Ridge Road near Livingston Road. Contact us today by calling (239) 261-2663 or request an appointment online, and find out how we can help you get back to your active lifestyle again.
