There's no place like home...

After surgery, you may experience a lot of anxiety regarding the rehabilitation of your new hip or knee. Most of your concerns may center around your mobility strengths and weaknesses post-surgery. While these stressors are valid, think about the pain in your joints that you have struggled with for many years and how well your body adjusted to it.  You’ll come to find out that your life after surgery will be far greater almost instantaneously and that the rehabilitation pain might be more bearable in comparison to the life that you with arthritis. In the past, patients would go directly from the hospital to an inpatient rehab clinic or skilled nursing facility to accommodate their transition to everyday life.  However, contrary to this practice, the research consistently demonstrates that the best place for patients to go after surgery is home.

With the advancement of multimodal pain management techniques, reliance on narcotics is limited, as post-surgical pain is strategically attacked with many methods. Early physical therapy and exercise is also emphasized in order to help with becoming more functional and independent after your procedure. Research shows that patients that go home directly after surgery achieve faster recovery. Additionally, complications such as infections, blood clots and re-admission to the hospital are more common in patients who go to rehab clinics post-surgery.  

Amongst expert surgeons, the general consensus is that it is preferred for patients to return home after knee or hip replacement surgery.  An assessment of your living environment, as well as your supporting staff (friends and family) to determine your game plan even before you have your surgery. Preparing your home in a manner that will be suitable for your post-surgery life is an essential key to a successful and full recovery. Some things to consider include: meal preps, keeping your effects in accessible areas, and decluttering your home for accessibility purposes.  Prior to surgery, you should rest assured that returning home after surgery will yield lower risks of post-surgical complications and enhance your recovery.

Dr. Ugo Ihekweazu, is an orthopedic surgeon and an expert in Hip and Knee Replacement surgery in the Greater Houston Area.  Dr. Ihekweazu is a member of the Fondren Orthopedic Group with offices in the Texas Medical Center and Willowbrook/Cypress. As one of the top young surgeons in the country, Dr. Ihekweazu has particular expertise in minimally invasive anterior and posterior total hip replacement surgery, hip resurfacing, partial knee replacement, minimally invasive total knee replacement surgery, computer navigation, robotic-assisted surgery, complex joint replacement and revision joint replacement surgery.  If you have further questions about any of these surgical options please contact us today to make an appointment.

Author

Ugo Ihekweazu, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Hip and Knee Replacement Minimally Invasive and Revision Surgery