Outpatient Total Joint Surgery

Same day surgery or outpatient surgery is becoming state of the art for total hip and knee replacement.  This has become so important in the surgical world that the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and the American Association of Orthopedics convened together to optimize and develop guidelines (Journal of Arthoplasty, October 2018) for ground-breaking centers that are doing this like Beacon Orthopedics. Beacon Orthopedics and Dr. Haleem Chaudhary have been performing outpatient surgeries for years. 

There are several characteristics that need to be taken into consideration before undergoing outpatient joint replacement.

1. Patient selection:  It is so important you and your family understands the risks of undergoing outpatient surgery and are able to a manage the medical issues that may arise at home.
2. Social Support:  It is also important that you have adequate loved ones or caregiver support.  Your caregivers are able and knowledgeable to give the care normally given in the hospital.
3. Environment:  Do you live faraway from your doctor or hospital?  Do you live faraway from a rehab center?  Do you have many stairs in your house? 
4. Clinical and surgical team expertise:  You need to make sure that your surgeon and his team are used to performing this procedure.  They should have a certain volume or expertise in this.
5. Protocols:  Protocols at the surgery center for pain management, mobilization, and early physical therapy should be in place for you to have an outpatient joint surgery.
6. Surgery center:  Beacon orthopedics has a long history of outpatient surgery in their facilities and with this experience comes expertise.