Hospitals carry out same-day knee ops
PEOPLE waiting for knee replacements can now have surgery at two ABMU hospitals and be home the same day.
Princess of Wales and Neath Port Talbot hospitals are believed to be the first in Wales to offer daycase surgery for both half and full knee replacements.
Although not suitable for all patients, it has definite benefits for those who are eligible – and will help free up hospital beds too.
The first two day-case knee arthroplasties have been carried out in the hospitals and the results in both cases have been excellent.
One of the patients involved, 53-year-old Neil Williams from Bridgend has been getting around without crutches two weeks after surgery.
He said: “I’m 100% happy I went down this road.
“Without shadow of a doubt I would recommend it for those people who meet the criteria.”
Traditionally, patients having total knee replacements would have stayed in hospital for 14 days. But in 2009 this was reduced to five days with the introduction of Eras – Enhanced Recovery after Surgery.
This is a rapid recovery system that encourages early mobilisation by avoiding opiates as regular painkillers, instead using a variety of other painkilling methods.
Now a multidisciplinary team led by ABMU consultant orthopaedic surgeon Amit Chandratreya has taken this even further following a fact-finding visit to Zuyderland Hospital in the Netherlands.
The hospital has been carrying out day-case knee arthroplasties for several years with great success.
Mr Chandratreya said: “It’s suitable for patients who are reasonably fit and well, who have no other medical problems and have someone who can look after them at home.
“They can have day case arthroplasty, which means they have the operation in the morning, be mobilised within six hours and then they can go home.
“Very often there is no reason to keep people in hospital other than the pain, and that can be managed just as well at home.
“As long as it is safe, they are better off at home. There is reduced risk of hospital-acquired infection and they can recover with their family in a familiar and more restful environment.”