Is Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery Right for Me?
Having a hip or knee replacement and going home from the hospital the same day is becoming more common. The surgery is generally performed early in the morning, and the patient goes home at the end of the day. Five years ago, outpatient joint replacement was almost unthinkable. But advances in technology, surgical technique and pain management over the past few years have made same-day hip or knee replacement a viable option for patients who meet certain criteria. During the pandemic, many people find this appealing since they leave the hospital more quickly and can spend their first night after surgery in the comfort of their own home. These days, much smaller incisions and robotic-assisted joint replacement, which allows for ultraprecise positioning of the implant, benefit patients who wish to go home the day of surgery. A study in the Bone & Joint Journal in 2018 by researchers in the United Kingdom found that robotic-assisted total knee replacement was associated with decrease...