Over the past decade, orthopedic surgeons have safely moved many procedures from the hospital inpatient department to the ambulatory surgery center. The results for this transition — lower costs, lower infection rates, increased patient satisfaction — could not have been possible without advances in surgical techniques and approaches.
However, many challenges still remain to a full transition of hip and knee surgeries to ASCs.
Here seven orthopedic surgeons discuss the advancements in hip and knee outpatient surgeries that have made these procedures safer and produced better outcomes, as well as the challenges they still face in the ASC operating room.
Question: What are the greatest advancements that have been made to allow for effective hip and knee surgeries in ASCs?
Darwin Chen, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City: There are three main advancements that have allowed some hip and knee replacements to become ambulatory surgery procedures. First, minimally invasive techniques can result in less tissue damage when performed appropriately. Second, multimodal analgesia tackles pain control on many different fronts as opposed to only using traditional narcotics. Third, streamlined nursing and physical therapy rapid rehabilitation protocols allow for early mobilization and safe early discharge.
To read the rest of the article, visit Becker's ASC Review.