Charles Davis III, MD, PhD, is the chief of the hip and knee arthroplasty division at the Penn State Hershey (Pa.) Bone and Joint Institute. He identified four trends driving the shift towards outpatient joint replacement in Penn State News.
1. Anesthesia teams focused specifically on joint replacements have improved communication, consistency and care protocols for arthroplasty patients.
2. Injections used around the joint perioperatively have improved pain management. Patients can be sent home with medication to numb nerve pain. "Using these, we can dramatically decrease the amount of narcotics patients take after surgery," Dr. Davis told Penn State News.
3. Using medication to decrease blood loss from surgery leads to less joint swelling and irritation in surrounding tissues. "That also means less pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, low blood pressure or transfusions, and that helps speed their recovery as well," he said.
4. Approximately 80 percent of arthroplasty patients now receive physical therapy the day of their procedure, which speeds up the recovery process.