Daytime joint replacement surgery recommended

Medical professionals should look to undertake joint replacement procedures in the daytime, according to new research.

A report in the September issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery claims a "prime daytime slot" for joint replacement surgery can lower the risk of needing follow-up surgery later on.

The study found that follow-up surgery was needed in 27 per cent of afterhours surgical procedures, compared to daytime patients where the figure dropped to three per cent.

The researchers wrote that it "may be in a patient's best interest to wait until morning" for procedures, as on-call surgical teams may not be well rested for immediate afterhours joint replacement procedures.

"Sufficient daytime resources should be made available to avoid unnecessary night-time surgery," they added.

Dr Thomas Schmalzried recently claimed that patient selection and surgical techniques were key aspects to successful hip resurfacing operations, publisher OrthoSupersite.com reported.

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