Dr. Matthew Grunkemeyer, orthopaedic surgeon with OrthoCincy, recently performed outpatient total hip replacement surgery, a new offering at St. Elizabeth for candidates who meet certain criteria.

Same day total hip replacement is one of multiple outpatient orthopaedic surgery options St. Elizabeth offers patients at the Total Joint Center. The St. Elizabeth Total Joint Center and OrthoCincy already offer same day total knee replacement, along with innovations in shoulder replacement surgery that result in a faster recovery time. These advancements put St. Elizabeth at the forefront in orthopaedic surgery options, allowing some patients to return to the comfort of their home rather than staying overnight in the hospital following joint replacement surgery.

Same day hip replacement is a minimally invasive surgery that involves removing the damaged hip and replacing it with a hip prosthesis. The surgery helps relieve the grinding between the two surfaces of the ball and joint in patients with chronic hip arthritis so patients are able to walk without pain.

“We use an anterior approach so we’re moving muscles instead of cutting muscles and tendons when we’re placing the implant,” said Dr. Grunkemeyer. This results in less pain and shorter recovery times for patients. Other benefits include the use of spinal anesthesia, to avoid using a breathing tube and the possible pulmonary complications from general anesthetic. In this first case, the patient was walking without assistive devices and recovering on schedule at two weeks post operation. The patient told Dr. Grunkemeyer, “Thank you for giving me my life back.”

Not all patients who need hip replacement surgery are candidates for the same day total hip replacement, Grunkemeyer advises. “The ideal candidate meets certain clinical criteria and is motivated to have a same day surgery,” he said. A patient should have no other medical problems beyond the hip condition and be comfortable with going home and not staying in the hospital after surgery. “It’s not for everybody but for those select patients, it’s a good option,” said Dr. Grunkemeyer. “Our number one priority is patient safety."