9 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7
T
he seis-
mic shift
toward
same-day
total
knee replacements is
clearly linked to
improvements in pain
management tech-
niques. Opioids are no
longer the first
defense, as facilities that perform total knees increasingly turn to mul-
timodal regimens that subordinate, or even eliminate, the need for
prescription pain pills.
One result is that outpatient total knees are no longer on the fringe.
Nearly one-fourth (24.6%) of our 180 survey respondents discharge
total knee patients on the same day, vs. only 8.5% who say that was
the case 3 years ago. We'll likely see a sharp spike in volume if, as
expected, Medicare starts helping to pay for knee replacements out-
side the hospital.
But as our survey further suggests, there's no clear consensus on
how best to manage pain. Our survey does, however, reflect 2 areas of
Our survey finds that
blocks and NSAIDs
are the most promi-
nent of many tools.
Jim Burger
Senior Editor
How You're Managing the
Pain of Total Knees
• BUSINESS BOOM Improvements in pain management techniques have made
total knee replacements one of surgery's biggest potential growth markets.
