Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery Effective for Hip and Knee Patients

In years past, people in need of a joint replacement expected to stay immobile in a hospital for a week or more after their surgery. Recovery would be arduous, leaving many people stationary and off work for several months. Today, it’s a different story. Here at MCJR, over 60% of our patients get to experience outpatient joint replacement surgery and recover in their own homes.

So how do we do it here at MCJR?

Innovative Techniques

Our surgeons at MCJR use advanced anesthesia techniques and a multi-model approach to pain control. Our modern instruments and less invasive techniques – such as the anterior approach to hip replacement – have made hip and knee replacement surgery safer and less invasive.

Location

We perform most of our outpatient procedures at an outpatient facility specifically designed for orthopedic surgery, Midwest Specialty Surgery Center, which is conveniently located on our first floor. Because the surgery center is specialized and separate from a hospital, it is efficient, clean, and not exposed to diseases.

Patient satisfaction of the surgery center has been rated “good” to “great” with 98% of our cases in the last two years. We are confident that you receive the utmost care at Midwest Specialty Surgery Center.

Surgeons used to recommend that patients NOT move their legs directly after surgery, but it is now the complete opposite! We have found that to keep your leg still for days after surgery actually makes your recovery harder. It is better to move your joint to prevent it from getting stiff over time. Because of this, we get you up and walking after you have woken up from your surgery. The nursing team will teach your to walk with a walker, and you may have a brief physical therapy session.

Recovery

We have found that people recover faster and more smoothly when they are in the comforts of their own home, instead of in a hospital. Because of that, we want you home! We still order lots of rest and time off work. However, they walk every day on their new joint and can do physical therapy at home. Many people feel good enough to return to work at 6-8 weeks, depending on their occupation.

Our MCJR team wouldn’t recommend outpatient joint replacement surgery unless we believed it really works! Our outpatient patients generally recover quickly and without major complications. They regain the ability to walk up and down stairs, be active, and live without the nagging pain of arthritis.