Looking at a knee or hip replacement? Olympia Orthopaedic Associates, the largest full-service orthopedic group in the South Puget Sound area, now offers an alternative to the usual hospital stay of two to three days: outpatient surgery for healthier patients, who can then go home the same day of surgery.
“Olympia Orthopaedic Associates provides patients with convenience and the highest quality orthopedic services to get them back to the life they deserve—a life in motion,” says Becki Taylor, surgical services program manager.
Advancements in medicine now allow healthier patients to be up and moving very soon after surgery and returning home the same day, Taylor says. Patients are screened before being offered the program, to determine their fitness for outpatient surgery. OOA, which has been a part of the Thurston County community since 1972, started offering this service to patients in March 2015.
“We are very proactive in educating patients to ensure success after surgery,” says Taylor. Every patient having an out-patient total joint replacement at OOA attends a class and a preoperative physical therapy evaluation, she says. This process ensures that the patient and caregiver are well-prepared for recovery. Taylor reports that post-anesthesia recovery time is about four to five hours after surgery. During their stay, she adds, patients again meet with a physical therapist to go over exercises and to create a recovery plan. Ongoing recovery continues at home, with an outpatient physical therapy program.
According to Taylor, this well-tested, yet innovative program is available only at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates. Ask your primary care physician if the outpatient total joint program is an option for you.
VIRGINIA ROSS
For additional information:
Olympia Orthopaedic Associates
360.709.6230
olyortho.com
