Same-day joint replacement surgery now an option at Methodist Fremont Health

With a goal of helping people return to their lives quicker, Methodist Fremont Health recently launched a same-day total joint replacement program that can have someone walk into the hospital in the morning, undergo knee replacement surgery, and return home in the afternoon.

“When I started total joint (replacement), in some places, (people) were actually admitted the night before and for the most part stayed in the hospital somewhere between three and five days before they went home,” Dr. Brett Fischer told The Tribune in a phone interview.

The advantages of same-day joint replacement surgery includes cost savings for the patient, their insurance company and the hospital, as well as quicker recovery times and fewer post-surgery complications for patients.

Fischer stressed that the same-day joint replacement program wouldn’t be possible without the team at Methodist Fremont Health.

“It’s not just what (Fischer) does as a champion (of the program),” Methodist Fremont medical-surgical service leader Pam Stout said. “He brings this concept forward and then we start to look at, ‘OK, who all does this involve?’ Our committee is made up of Dr. Fischer. It’s made up of nursing. It’s made up of surgery and floor leadership. It’s made up of physical therapy, occupational therapy, anesthesia and pharmacy, and each of us have a different piece that we add into the success of the patient’s procedure and the outcomes that they have.”

Fremont Tribune: Same-day joint replacement surgery now an option at Methodist Fremont Health