Two women are recovering after having their knees replaced in a Hanover joint replacement surgery center. The WellSpan Health & Surgery Center said both women were able to return home just hours after surgery.
The surgery center said the most telling reaction to the outpatient knee replacement was that both women plan to return to the Hanover surgery center to get their other knee replaced as well. They had the same procedure done on the same day.
Tiffany Jackson, 49, is a WellSpan nurse midwife. She said she first injured one of her knees while dancing. Tina Hartlaub, 55, works in medical billing. She said she grew up with knee pain and tried other therapies, including injections and physical therapy, before opting for surgery.
Both women had discomfort after surgery, but they said it would have happened regardless if they had stayed in the hospital or gone home the same day. They are both back at work and resuming their normal activities.
The WellSpan Health & Surgery Center said it is now able to offer same-day total joint replacements for knees and hips. This is part of a trend in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, with 51% of total joint replacements expected to be performed in an outpatient setting by 2026.
Outpatient surgery allows doctors to meet the needs of patients in their own communities, said Dr. Albert Folgueras, an orthopedic surgeon at the WellSpan Health & Surgery Center.
I think that same-day knee replacement is a terrible idea. I have had three joint replacements. In each case, I spent at least two nights in the hospital–which I welcomed and believed to be necessary.