Early discharge can boost rapid recovery

Early discharge from hospital following total hip or knee replacement surgery can decrease recovery times.

According to Dr Nick Scott, consultant anaesthetist at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in west Scotland, knee replacement patients are generally allowed home within two or three days.

The hospital used the CALEdonia technique (Clinical Attitudes Leading to Early Discharge), which uses a multi-disciplinary approach to reduce in-patient stays.

It focuses on getting patients out of bed as soon as possible following surgery.

Speaking to the Evening Times, Dr Scott said: "A recent World Health Organization review could find no evidence that lying in bed is anything other than a potential hazard after surgery because it can lead to blood clots and infections."

He added that balancing the levels of general and local anaesthetic post-surgery was another key element to improving discharge rates.

Recent research published on Ortho Supersite showed that high prescription dosages of painkillers are more likely to lead to overdose than low-dose prescriptions.

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