Seattle surgery center patients discharged hours after joint replacement

Editor's Note

At First Hill Surgery Center in Seattle, patients can have a knee or hip replaced in the morning and go home in the afternoon, the April Seattle Magazine reports.

The surgical procedure takes about 2 hours, and patients admitted at 7:30 am generally are able to return home before 2 pm. Patients are discharged after they are awake, stable, and can walk a minimum of 50 feet with a walker. They also have to be able to go up and down stairs if they have them at home.

The same-day procedure allows patients to avoid a hospital stay, which lowers costs between 30% and 70%, and lowers the risk of hospital-acquired infections.