RD&E celebrates first day case hip replacement surgery
A patient has become the first at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust to undergo day case hip replacement surgery, after being discharged just eight hours after surgery.
Christopher Bennett suffered from painful osteoarthritis in his hip. After trying to settle his pain with non-operative measures, he came to the conclusion that his quality of life was affected enough to warrant surgery. Following his procedure in May, Christopher quickly completed all physio goals and, after a discussion with his family, physio team and doctors, it was decided that he was well enough to return home that evening.
Typically, patients who undergo hip replacement surgery spend an average of around three nights in hospital to recover. With the introduction of day case hip replacement surgeries, it means that eligible patients are able to return home and begin recovery in their own environments much faster.
While day case surgeries can be a good choice for some patients, they are not suitable for everyone and depend on a variety of factors. These include whether the patient is otherwise fit and healthy, whether or not they have a strong support system at home and if they have other medical conditions which may affect their recovery.
Matt Wilson, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the RD&E, explained: “It is fairly clear that the best place for patients to recover and rehabilitate is in the familiar surroundings of their own homes and the aim of the RD&E Exeter Hip Unit team is to facilitate patients in going home as soon after their surgery as practically possible. For certain patients, this may mean going home on the same day and we are pleased to have helped Mr Bennett get home to his family only eight hours after surgery.
“Day case hip replacement is not suitable for everyone and no patient will ever be pressured into going home the same day. However, for those patients who are able to mobilise early and are keen to begin their recovery as soon as possible, we are pleased to be able to help.”
Christopher Bennett said: “It’s exciting to be the first patient at the RD&E to go home on the same day as hip replacement surgery. I knew I wanted to return home as soon as possible after my surgery and it’s great that this is being offered to patients who are well enough to be discharged on the same day.”
