What is outpatient joint replacement?
Outpatient total joint replacement refers to undergoing a hip or knee replacement surgery and going home the same day as surgery. There is no overnight stay in the hospital. This can also be called same-day discharge or ambulatory joint replacement. Outpatient joint replacement is a safe and increasingly common approach for total joint replacement in appropriately selected patients.
Where is outpatient joint replacement performed?
Outpatient joint replacement can be safely performed at an ambulatory surgery center or in a hospital setting. Opening in the fall of 2024, Millennium Surgery Center is a state-of-the-art facility with 6 large operating rooms and it is centrally located to serve Greenville County and the surrounding areas.
For more information about this brand new facility, please go to this website: https://millenniumasc.com
What enables outpatient total joint replacement?
There are many things that contribute to a successful and safe outpatient total joint replacement. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, enhanced recovery protocols (ERP), preoperative education, home health coordination, medical and nutritional optimization, and multimodal post operative pain medication regimens all work in concert to help improve outcomes and patient experience in the outpatient setting for total joint arthroplasty.
Indications
The indications for outpatient total joint replacement are the same for joint replacements performed in a hospital setting with an overnight stay. A good outpatient surgical candidate is a patient who is healthy, has chronic stable medical conditions, has appropriate support at home, and is motivated to go home the same day of surgery.
Preoperative care and Instructions
You will receive a booklet containing information regarding Millennium ASC and details about the pre procedure requirements. There will be a pre operative screening at the surgery center which includes a review of your medical history. You will have to complete lab work within 30 days of your scheduled surgery. Prior to surgery we will work with you to arrange for home health services/outpatient physical therapy as well as facilitate durable medical equipment such as an ice machine or walker. Prior to your surgery, there will be a preoperative visit to answer any remaining questions, review the risks of the surgical procedure, and prescribe your post operative pain medication to be picked up prior to surgery.
Postoperative recovery
After surgery, you will be transferred to the recovery area. Once recovered from anesthesia you will ambulate with a walker and climb stairs. The post operative recovery nurse will review your medications and post operative instructions. Several hours after your procedure you will be discharged home.
Advantages of Outpatient Joint Replacement
The benefits of outpatient hip surgery are:
- Shorter stay in a medical facility
- Faster recovery in the comfort of your own home
- Lower risk of infection
- Lower cost
- Less pain and fewer opioids due to ERP
- Higher patient satisfaction
For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, call us at or click here to request an appointment online. We’ll respond to you as soon as possible.
