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CHI St. Joseph Health
Short-stay Success
CHI St. Joseph Health has taken
steps to shorten the hospital stay
following a knee replacement.
While knee replacement typically required
a few nights in the hospital, CHI St. Joseph
Health recently began offering outpatient
knee replacements to qualified patients.
Same-day surgery allows patients to spend
more of their recovery in the environment
where they’re most comfortable: home.
“Knee replacement patients undergo a big
operation, but they aren’t ill,” said Eric Gully,
P.T., orthopedic service line director at
CHI St. Joseph Health. “For many, a long
hospital stay isn’t necessary. Hospitals are
busy places. At home, it’s quieter and more
familiar, which reduces the risk of falls.”
3 STEPS ON THE PATH HOME
1. Education — Four to six weeks before
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surgery, patients have a one-on-one visit
with a physical therapist to learn mobility
friendly changes to make to their homes
and what to expect from rehabilitation after
surgery. They also attend a Joint University
class two weeks before the procedure to
learn about the surgery and what to do
when they go home to aid recovery.
2. Pain control — Walking soon after
surgery reduces pain and prevents loss of
function, Eric said. Their program protocol
helps the medical team manage patient
discomfort with general anesthesia, a
nerve block and other pain medications
while keeping opioid use to a minimum.
With pain under control, it’s easier for
patients to move.
3. Specialized care — Dedicated
nurses, physicians, and advanced
practitioners care for patients while
they’re in the hospital and Joint University
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rehabilitation therapists train them how to
navigate obstacles in the home.
A BOUNTY OF BENEFITS
The joint replacement team’s commitment
to shortening hospital stays is paying off.
The average length of stay for a knee
replacement patient is less than two days,
down from 2.4 prior to the introduction
of same-day surgery. While outpatient
knee replacement isn’t for everyone, it has
definite benefits. “Patients walk sooner
and with less assistance, enjoy better
quadriceps function, and have fewer
abnormal gait patterns and less swelling
in the joint,” Eric said. “They’re also getting
their independence back faster.”
CHI St. Joseph Health offers Joint
University, a program designed to
help you navigate the process of a
joint replacement. To learn more,
call (979) 776-2978.