March 3, 2016 (Omaha, NE) – At Nan Colwell’s first yoga class she couldn’t wait for the hour to be over. Laying flat on the floor hurt her hip tremendously. But now, she loves it.
“Recently I just started going to a yoga class again; I have no pain at all,” said Colwell of Missouri Valley, IA. “My flexibility is getting better and better all the time.”
After having pain in her hip for over a year Colwell, 57, wasn’t shocked when Dr. C. Kent Boese, orthopedic surgeon at Miller Orthopedic Specialists, said she needed a hip replacement. For her, a traditional total hip replacement wasn’t the only option. Dr. Boese told Colwell she was an eligible candidate for an outpatient total hip replacement.
“I was a little afraid of (the procedure) but the longer I thought about it and (Dr. Boese) explained the lesser risk of infection and faster recovery, it made a lot of sense,” she said.
Outpatient total hip replacement is different than a traditional total hip replacement because the patient has surgery that morning and is in the comfort of their home that afternoon to continue recovery. With a traditional total hip replacement patients stay at the hospital for an average of 3 – 4 days after surgery. Colwell’s surgery took place at the Advanced Surgery Center in Omaha.
“My family couldn’t believe when they came back from lunch that I was all dressed and ready to go,” Colwell said.
Miller Orthopedic Specialists is the only orthopedic group in the Omaha, Council Bluffs and Southwest Iowa community conducting outpatient total hip and knee replacements. Outpatient total hip and knee replacement are not a new procedure and has been conducted in larger cities for years.
“This is made possible with recent advances, such as improved anesthesia, less invasive techniques, comprehensive pre-operative programs and protocols for post-surgery home-health and rehabilitation,” Dr. Boese said.
The benefits of an outpatient total hip replacement versus a traditional total hip replacement are lower cost, less risk of infection, quicker recovery and being able to recover in the comfort of your own home.
A research study published in the Journal of Arthroplasty in 2015 showed costs for outpatient total hip replacement are significantly less than an inpatient total hip replacement. Another study indicated no differences in long-term complication rates between patients undergoing outpatient total hip replacement versus inpatient total hip replacement.
Home health care and physical therapy are arranged prior to surgery. A professional arrives at the patient’s home to help assess if adjustments need to be made around the house for a comfortable recovery. At home exercises as well as physical therapy sessions continue after surgery to help retain full range of motion.
“It wasn’t easy-peasy,” Colwell said. “Every day it just got better and better.”
Eleven days after surgery Colwell arrived at Miller Orthopedic Specialists’ Council Bluff Clinic for her hospital follow up with Dr. Boese. She was able to walk down the hallway of the doctor’s office without a walker or a cane. After the appointment Colwell continued to use a cane throughout her day and used a walker while walking around her home at night.
A couple months after surgery, Colwell said she feels no pain and was able to mow her lawn and walk on the treadmill again, as well as give yoga a second chance.
“I try to walk 10,000 steps a day,” Colwell said. “Every day I could see improvement. I was really pleased with how recovery went.”
To learn if you are an eligible candidate for an outpatient total hip or total knee replacement, make an appointment for a consultation with one of our physicians at Miller Orthopedic Specialists.
“We look for patients who are very motivated to return to activity better than presurgery and who can follow post-surgical requirements,” Dr. Boese said. “Someone who is reasonably in good physical condition and has a strong support system in their home for an extra set of eyes and hands to help after surgery is important too.”
Colwell said she would definitely recommend Miller Orthopedic Specialists to family and friends.
“Dr. Boese and his staff were just wonderful to work with and sought to any need that I had,” Colwell said. “The overall experience was wonderful. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. I just wouldn’t wait as long.
For more information about outpatient total hip or knee replacements with Miller Orthopedic Specialists, visit millerortho.com. The phone number to the main clinic in Council Bluffs is 712-323-5333 and the Omaha office is 402-991-9958. Several Physicians within Miller Orthopedic Specialists, Drs. Boese and Atteberry, perform this procedure. Convenient locations are available with 12 outreach clinics throughout Omaha, Council Bluffs and Southwest Iowa. Miller Orthopedic Specialists has served the Council Bluffs/Omaha area for over 40 years. The goal is to restore patients to optimum health quickly and safely.
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