Rome doctor performs 1st area outpatient knee replacement
A full joint replacement surgery can typically keep patients in the hospital for at least two days, however a Rome doctor has been able to send some of his patients home the day of surgery.
Dr. Justin Dunn, of Rome Orthopedic Center & Sports Medicine, performed the first full outpatient knee replacement in Floyd County last month on Dave Williams of Cave Spring.
Dunn, who has been with ROC for two years, said that he has been interested in outpatient and joint surgery for quite a while and has been working to bring it to Rome.
Dunn said he first encountered the idea of outpatient full joint replacement surgery during his residency at University of Tennessee/Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.
Dunn explained that not everyone can go home after a full joint replacement surgery. Patients must have help at home, not have a history of heart or lung issues and most importantly of all have a desire to do it.
“A hospital is a great place to be if you need to be there, but most patients, if they can be comfortable and be independent, prefer to be at home,” Dunn said.
Sending a patient home on the day of surgery is a side effect of improved techniques and pain control measures, Dunn said.
Williams, a chemistry teacher at Rome High School, said that recovering at home was a better way to relax and feel comfortable.
“As an option, I would suggest it to anyone” Williams said.
He arrived at Redmond Regional Medical Center for surgery at 7:30 a.m. and was discharged around 5 p.m. Before being discharged from the hospital, Williams said he made sure he could navigate stairs and get in and out of a car as well as a bed. He has been attending regular rehab since his surgery. Williams said there was no pressure from Dunn to go home the same day and that Dunn went over his options several times and asked if he had any worries.
Williams said he has enjoyed recovering at home and sleeping in his own bed and has been getting better and better.
Dunn also performed a hip replacement in August 2016 at Floyd Medical Center, and that patient, too, went home the same day.