Hip replacement patients can be out of hospital on same day with new joint thanks to new operation
People in need of a hip replacement can now get a new joint and be in and out of hospital on the same day thanks to a new procedure at a Staffordshire hospital.
Cannock Chase Hospital has become one of the first hospitals in the region to perform the same-day hour-long operation which has been hailed as a "great achievement" by health chiefs.
It means patients don't need to be admitted to an inpatient ward and can recover at home rather than being admitted for up to two days, reducing the impact on hospital bed spaces.
Khaldoun Bitar is a consultant orthopaedic lower limb arthroplasty and trauma surgeon at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, and performed the surgery on John Greybanks.
The 69-year-old was admitted at 7.30am and left at 7pm on the same day to recover at home in Pendeford, Wolverhampton.
Mr Greybanks, a father-of-two and grandfather-of-three, had been suffering discomfort for more than a year and could not walk properly before being referred by his GP to Mr Bitar.
The retired contracts director for a building firm said: "From the day I met Mr Bitar to the day I left, I could not have been treated any better or they could not have done any more for me.
"Everything went fine and I can’t praise him or any of the staff highly enough. Everyone on the ward as absolutely superb – they got me up and about within an hour of the operation.”
"I’m doing really well, walking without crutches and driving. It’s certainly made a difference to my life."
Health chiefs said the procedure is not available for everyone but offers an "ideal solution" to the right patients.
Mr Greybanks had his wife of 49 years Katherine, aged 67, and daughter Helen at home to support him and his stitches removed two weeks later.
Mr Bitar said: "We are very excited about this development – it’s a great achievement and a good example of multi-disciplinary teams working together, as well as showing how many people are keen to improve patient experience.
"It is the minimally invasive surgical technique and the refined anaesthetic with post-operative care pathway that made this possible. The operation is the same for day-case as any other hip replacement.
"We can’t offer this to everyone, so patient selection is key. One of the main criteria is for the patient to have someone at home with them.
"They also need to be a certain age and there has to be a willingness to participate in the pathway and in the surgical technique. Everyone is welcome to discuss their options and the surgeon will decide if the patient is the right fit for this procedure or not.
"The aim is to become a leading unit in the region to provide this fantastic service to patients who are interested in the technique and meet our criteria."
Dr Dikshika Mathur, consultant anaesthetist, said launching the new procedure was a "proud moment and a great achievement".
He added: "With careful patient selection in the clinic, rigorous peri-operative work, and thoughtful designed protocol with multimodal analgesia, day case arthroplasty is not only possible but also a safe and effective option for few selected patients."
