One Day Joint Replacements Abroad
One-day Joint Replacements and their benefits
Joint problems can really shrink your world. The pain associated with joint pain can limit your mobility and completely change your lifestyle. When you’re less active, other problems can rear their head. You may put on weight or encounter negative psychological effects as a result of not getting out and about as you once did.
What causes joint problems and what can we do about them?
Deterioration of the joints can be caused by a variety of conditions; old age, arthritis, fractures, accidents in which the joint has been damaged or less common problems like hip dysplasia. When all of the initial treatments such as physiotherapy, medication and non-surgical procedures have been exhausted, it’s time to consider surgical intervention. This means a joint replacement. But not all joint replacements are the same. With a standard hip or knee replacement, you can expect to be in hospital for three to five days. But one-day joint replacements are increasingly popular options. So how is it possible to speed up recovery time to such a degree?
One-day replacements and their benefits
It’s all down to a relatively new joint surgery procedure. The anterior surgical approach is minimally invasive. A small incision is made at the front of the joint. This means surgeons can avoid cutting muscles and tendons from the bone, something that is made inevitable with a posterior incision. This less invasive approach has been made possible through technological advances. Specially designed equipment is used to support the limb and pull back the surrounding tissue so the joint is made visible to the surgeon. Because the body undergoes a lot less trauma with a minimally invasive anterior replacement, patients can often go home after spending just one night in hospital. There are even some cases where doctors have performed a joint replacement in the morning and sent patients home from hospital by the early evening of the same day. Patients recover from the operation much more quickly and experience a faster return to full joint function too. There seems no doubt that minimally invasive joint surgery is the way to go for anyone seeking a hip or knee replacement. The trouble is this kind of surgery isn’t always available on the NHS and, in areas where it is available, patients can be left waiting a long time to access this type of treatment. This is why many people are turning to international clinics for their care.
The Netherlands has an excellent reputation for joint replacement surgery and for healthcare in general. The 2014 Euro Health Consumer Index (ECHI) ranked the Netherlands as the best country in Europe for health care based upon a variety of factors including patient rights, outcomes, the range of services offered, illness prevention, access to pharmaceuticals and waiting times.
The Dutch have come to expect speedy medical treatment so long waiting times and long hospital stays are much less common than they are in the UK. This makes it a very appealing option for those seeking joint replacement surgery, particularly as Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is just one hour and 15 minutes’ flight time from the UK.
After undergoing a hip or knee replacement in The Netherlands, as long as there are no complications, patients can expect to stay in hospital for just one night. Plus physiotherapy is offered immediately after surgery, meaning rehabilitation is quicker and much more effective. As anyone who has tried to sleep on a noisy ward will understand, the comfort of your own home and your own bed are very appealing after a hospital procedure. But there are other reasons to keep the number of nights spent in hospital down to an absolute minimum. One of the biggest reasons is that it’s safer for patients’ health. The longer you stay in a hospital, the more likely you are to come into contact with a variety of infections that could impede recovery. Whereas a shorter hospital stay equals less exposure to potentially harmful viruses and infections.
A new era of anterior joint replacements means shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. It also means getting back to your old way of life much more quickly.
With Dutch clinics offering this advanced treatment as standard, it’s no surprise that many people suffering with joint problems are turning to them in their time of need.
There seems no doubt that minimally invasive joint surgery is the way to go for anyone seeking a hip or knee replacement.
