New knee surgery approach speeds recovery time, has patients jumping for joy
From a few days to a few hours, that could be the difference in recovery time, orthopedic surgeon says
From a few days to a few hours.
That's what knee replacement surgery patients can expect in a recovery time reduction, thanks to a new process just arriving in Western Canada, an orthopedic surgeon says.
"This new protocol helps the patient experience less post-operative pain and have less functional restrictions, which reduces the time it takes them to walk from a few days to just several hours," Dr. Rajrishi Sharma said.
The Calgary doctor says the new protocol has only about nine months of testing under its belt, but the results are "promising."
Previously, patients could stay in hospital for up to five days after knee replacement surgery. Dr. Sharma used the new process on 20 patients. Seventeen returned home the same day, and the three others within 24 hours.
New surgical techniques and pain management throughout the process provide relief for a couple of days, reducing discomfort after surgery, he said.
Kenn Thompson of Calgary said that on bad days, getting dressed for work was a challenge because of his bad knee. He had the new surgery process in March.
"I don't have the words to thank Dr. Sharma and his team for the wonderful job they did," Thompson said.
The province says about 6,000 knee replacements are done each year.
With files from Radio-Canada's Vincent Bonnay