Home is where the healing happens

Dorothy spends her entire “The Wizard of Oz” journey searching for a way home to Kansas, only to find that the solution was as simple as clicking her ruby heels and repeating: “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”

Well, according to new research, Dorothy’s mantra also may apply to people recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery. Three new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine show that, for most people, home is a better place to recover than a rehab facility.

One investigation by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine found that people who went directly home after total knee replacement had a lower risk of post-surgery complications and hospital readmission than those who went to an in-patient rehab facility.

Another, done by New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, showed that patients admitted to a care facility after hip replacement had a higher risk of wound complications, respiratory problems and hospital readmission.

Worried about recovering at home if you live alone? Yet another study found that patients recovered at home as quickly and with as few complications whether they lived with others or not. Our Tip: Post-TKR, have a visiting nurse, friends, even paid attendants for a few days to help you get in and out of bed (bathroom!), work with your auto knee-bending machine and manage pain medications.

So, before you get a hip or knee replacement, talk to your doc about how to best head home post-op.