Home in Less Than 24 Hours
Following Hip or Knee Joint Replacement Surgery

Joint replacement surgery may be considered when joint pain limits your everyday activities such as walking and bending, sitting or standing for long periods, or stiffness in your leg that limits your ability to lift or move your limb. Joint replacements are artificial joints that are designed to replace the damaged or diseased areas of cartilage in order to mimic the function of a healthy human joint. Outpatient joint replacement surgery is an advanced alternative to traditional inpatient care in a hospital setting. The damaged parts of the joint are replaced with an artificial joint to restore function and reduce pain in a similar fashion as a traditional replacement surgery. However, outpatient joint replacement surgery focuses on minimally invasive techniques and rapid recovery pathways to allow for complete recovery at home.

Is a short stay knee or hip replacement right for you?

Same Day discharge following joint replacement is a highly successful option for select patients who are candidates for joint replacement surgery. The surgery is done with modern, minimally invasive techniques and comprehensive multimodal pain management at an ambulatory surgery center allowing patients the opportunity to recover in the comfort of their own home with their family and friends starting on the day of surgery. A combination of pre-operative training with our experienced therapists, anesthesia techniques, scheduled medications, and as-needed pain medications mean that patients are walking within a few hours of their surgery. 

What are the advantages to outpatient/same-day joint replacement surgery?

• Shorter Hospital stay potentially reducing the risk of hospital acquired infection
• Often a shorter recovery period and reduced post-operative pain
• Minimizing surgical trauma to surrounding tissues
• More rapid return to activities you enjoy

Factors that may make an inpatient stay more likely include:

Outpatient surgery is a safe and highly successful pathway for patients who are healthy and have appropriate support and home environments.  There are some factors, however, that make discharge to home on the same day as the surgery challenging.

• Complex or unstable medical conditions
• Obesity
• Use of pain-killers prior to the operation (especially narcotic medications)
• Extreme limb deformity (bowlegged or knock-kneed)
• Prior joint surgery
• Limited family or friend support at home following surgery
• Unfavorable home environment, such as need to frequently use stairs

Further detailed information about the surgical procedures, recovery, and general practices can be found in our Information for Patients, Knee Replacement, and Hip Replacement pages.

What to Expect at your appointment:

• A thorough evaluation and discussion of your specific needs
• Review of your X-rays and any additional records
• An in-depth conversation covering surgical and non-surgical treatment options
• Customized treatment plan to get you back to your active lifestyle
• Close follow-up to monitor your recovery and rehabilitation