For anyone who suffers from chronic joint pain, the possibility of total joint replacement has likely come up. And, despite a nearly 70-year history of hip replacement and 42 years of success with knee replacements, the idea still seems almost science fiction-like. Yet, medical advancements continue to improve this surgical procedure and today, doctors can offer total joint replacements in an outpatient setting.
Yes. That means you will be sleeping in your own bed just hours after surgery.
Olympia Orthopaedic Associates has led the way in total joint replacement in southwest Washington for years. The 2012 construction of the West Olympia Surgery Center offered the space needed and the cutting edge technologies for the group to offer a broader range of services which now include outpatient total joint replacements.
With input from all impacted departments, Oly Ortho carefully planned the program for total joint replacements and launched in the spring of 2015. “March 2016 was our one-year anniversary offering this program and we’ve performed over 100 outpatient total joint replacements with great success,” shares Dr. Stephen Snow, Medical Director of the Outpatient Surgery Center at Oly Ortho.
Previously a surgery requiring up to a week-long hospital stay, total hips and total knees can, for qualified patients, be done as outpatient procedures now. “It’s a bit of a paradigm shift,” Dr. Snow admits. “These bigger surgeries can be safely done in an outpatient setting with very high patient safety and patient satisfaction.” Two key elements in offering the program are advances in pain control including regional nerve blocks, numbing only the surgical region instead of the entire limb, and local, infiltrating anesthetics delivered to the surgical sites.
As a result of these more advanced, targeted pain management tools, patients can begin physical therapy directly after surgery. “Patients can get right up and start walking instead of waiting a day or more for muscle function to return,” shares Dr. Snow, elaborating on the benefits of the advanced options. The ability to be mobile directly out of surgery allows patients to prove they can successfully navigate their recovery at home.
“We’ve found that if people expect to stay for three days in the hospital, they stay for three days. If they expect to go home that day, they are disappointed if they can’t,” explains Dr. Snow. “By preparing them and their expectations in advance, patients are much more likely to successfully follow their post-surgical plans.”
It’s not just increased technology that makes outpatient total joint surgery a reality. It’s the people involved. Surgery Center Director Sylvia Johns and Nurse Navigator Becki Taylor are key players in helping prepare patients, both physically and mentally. The initial step is always to determine if a patient is a candidate for the procedure.
“We have selection criteria that we use to see if the patient is right for our program,” shares Taylor. “First, the patient has to be motivated and have good family support at home. Second, they have to be healthy – meaning they can’t be significantly overweight, have any underlying heart conditions or other critical medical issues.” Nearly 80% of patients still require an inpatient surgical plan and Oly Ortho works in tandem with hospital partners at Capital Medical Center and Providence St. Peter Hospital to facilitate a smooth inpatient experience.
If accepted, the patient and caregiver(s) attend an educational class detailing all they need to know for both pre- and post-operative care. In addition, a pre-op physical therapy session is scheduled. This meeting allows the PT to discuss recovery needs and apparatus, ensuring a smooth transition to home. “We give them all this information proactively so that they can be successful and are able to go home that same day,” Taylor explains.
With an inpatient procedure, many details are ironed out while the patient is in the hospital. “With the outpatient program, everything is set up in advance so the transition from here to home is seamless,” explains Taylor. Securing a walker, scheduling and seeing physical therapists, and arranging prescriptions are all facilitated ahead of time.
One of the Oly Ortho program’s best assets is Taylor herself. She makes herself available to patients by phone and email anytime and follows up the day after surgery as well as a week after with each patient. “Becki’s role is key to our success,” shares Sylvia Johns. “What she does is a bit like a concierge service that she provides to the patients so they know they can reach someone directly with any questions. Becki really prepares them from beginning to end which has influenced patients to be very motivated.”
Dr. Snow notes that Oly Ortho’s program adds to the outpatient total joint offerings in place at both local hospitals and gives residents of southwest Washington even more options for quality care.
Outpatient procedures at stand-alone surgery centers are becoming more common throughout the nation and Oly Ortho is on the forefront of this trend. “We are really here to serve our community – that’s what we’re all about,” says Dr. Snow. “With all the options we have locally, you really don’t need to go further than Olympia for joint replacement surgery.”
Interested in learning more about Olympia Orthopaedic Associates and their total joint programs? Visit them online or call 360-709-6230.
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