The main aim of our pain management protocol is to enable patients to return to their home environment doing activities of daily living as soon as possible.
The majority of patients will be able to go home the next day, some have actually gone home the same day, but they are younger, fit patients who are very motivated.
The factors that determine early discharge are patient physiology after surgery (status of blood pressure, blood transfusion requirements, fluid balance, etc) and also the presence of a carer at home. We have avoided using narcotics in the early phase of our program to avoid sedation that slows down early independent mobilization.
Another reason for discharge after an extra day in hospital is because some Private Health Funds will not pay the Hospital for “Joint Replacement” as they (Health Funds) classify joint replacements as major surgery requiring at-least 3-7 days hospital stay. Patients can check with their health funds, and hospitals usually work together with the patients and surgeons to provide the best outcome. If this is the case, patients can certainly be “street ready” the day after surgery and go home or outside on “gate-leave”.
This program is most importantly, Good for the Patient, Good for the Surgeon, Good for the Hospital (frees up beds for other patients who may need emergency surgical care, etc) and Good For the Health Funds.