Am I A Candidate for Outpatient Joint Replacement Surgery?
September 14, 2021
Outpatient joint replacement is when a patient will go home the day of surgery instead of staying overnight at the hospital.
According to Kamala H. Littleton, M.D., an expert orthopedic surgeon with Orthopedics and Joint Replacement at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, the hospital is doing this for knee and hip replacements in otherwise healthy patients. It happened as COVID-19 started to ramp up.
"It just worked well. People didn't want to stay in the hospital. They had families that could help take care of them, and so we've really been pleased with the results. Again, it's the right patient gets the surgery done as an outpatient," Dr. Littleton said.
Dr. Littleton noted that patients see a physical therapist in the recovery room to make sure they are safe going home. And of course, there is follow-up. The best candidate for this is someone without a lot of health problems with a good support system at home.
To view Mercy orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kamala Littleton’s interview regarding outpatient joint replacement surgery, click here
.About Mercy
Founded in 1874 in Downtown Baltimore by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is a 183-licensed bed, acute care, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Mercy has been recognized as a high-performing Maryland hospital (U.S. News & World Report); has achieved an overall 5-Star quality, safety, and patient experience rating (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); is A-rated for Hospital Safety (Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade); and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet™ hospital. Mercy Health Services is a not-for-profit health system and the parent company of Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Personal Physicians.
Media Contact
Dan Collins, Senior Director of Media Relations
Office: 410-332-9714
Cell: 410-375-7342
Email: dcollins@mdmercy.com