ST. PETERSBURG, FL--(Marketwired - May 5, 2016) - Traditionally, patients who undergo total joint-replacement surgery can expect to spend three to four days in the hospital.
But that's slowly changing and Dr. Vladimir Alexander, founder of Alexander Orthopaedic Associates (www.alexanderorthopaedics.com), is among those at the forefront of an emerging trend that's allowing many patients to go home the same day as their surgery.
"We have been successfully developing and pioneering a total-joint outpatient program over the last five years," Alexander says. "We were the first in the Tampa Bay area to do that and one of just a handful in the entire United States."
He expects the rest of the practitioners in his field to eventually catch up, and there are signs the trend is on the brink of becoming the routine. Total joint arthroplasty outpatient surgery has been a recurring topic the last three years at the annual meetings of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, most recently in March.
"This is the wave of the future in orthopedics," Alexander says. "In five to 10 years, outpatient surgery will be part of the normal discussion when doing a consultation on a joint replacement."
Total joint replacement includes total knee arthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty/Birmingham hip resurfacing.
When outpatient surgery is planned, Alexander Orthopaedic's mobile-therapy team preps the patient's home for safety precautions. At the time of surgery, the patient stays in Alexander's state-of-the-art facility for a few hours to recover and then a staff member accompanies the patient home to ensure an easy transition.
The day after surgery, a mobile and medical therapy team goes to the patient's home to evaluate how well the patient is recovering.
Outpatient surgery for total joint replacement isn't for everyone. The right patient candidate is typically younger than 65, healthy, mobile and has a good support system at home.
"For patients who fit those criteria, these procedures can be performed safely in an outpatient setting and they can recover in the comfort of their home," Alexander says. "With this approach, we have helped eliminate over and under medicating a patient post-operatively and have reduced the risk of infection."
About Dr. Vladimir Alexander
Dr. Vladimir Alexander is an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Alexander Orthopaedic Associates (www.alexanderorthopaedics.com), which offers patients the latest in cutting-edge technology and new advances in orthopedic surgery and care.
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