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W
e've made
tremen-
dous
progress
in rehab-
bing and recovering outpatient
hip and knee replacement
patients. In the not too distant
past, total joint patients could
expect an inpatient hospital
stay of two to three nights,
after which they might be dis-
charged to an inpatient reha-
bilitation facility before returning home. Numerous innovations — from
app- and tablet-based home rehab programs to improved surgical tech-
niques and robotic-assistance platforms — have let us reduce that time
span. Patients who undergo surgery in the morning are up and walking
within an hour of leaving the operating room and heading home that
same afternoon. Rapid recovery, minimal pain and a quick return to a
joint's prior level of function are hallmarks of our outpatient total joint
service line, which requires a collaborative effort among all members of
the patient care team and involves tapping into technology that helps
patients return to normal life activities sooner.
• Home-based recovery. Digital rehab platforms have great poten-
tial because they can lower the touchpoint barrier for more frequent
interaction between provider and patient, allowing patients to partici-
Ravi Bashyal, MD | Chicago
Raring to Go After Joint Replacements
Rehab technologies and advanced care get
patients back up to speed sooner after surgery.
• HOMEWARD BOUND Talk to patients about app- and tablet-based
rehab programs that let them perform their rehab exercises at home
while still being connected to clinicians.
Nikki
Williams,
RN,
CNOR
