Rapid Recovery After Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty

Total knee and hip arthroplasty (replacement) procedures are common now, and patients have better experiences because of significant surgical advances that make them less invasive and traumatic to the body.

In the United States, approximately 790,000 knee replacements are performed each year, along with 544,000 hip replacements. 

For Houston area community members, Dr. Vasilio Mathews offers expertly done replacement arthroplasty procedures with your comfort and increased mobility as the top priorities. 

Dr. Mathews creates a customized treatment plan that addresses the issues specific to your history of pain and movement problems and your post-surgery goals. He is invested in speaking with you at length about arthroplasty procedures and answering all your questions and concerns.

Knee and hip arthroplasty numbers are booming

The numbers are rising not only because of the portion of the population that’s aging but also because of an increase in middle-aged individuals getting surgery, thanks to increased awareness of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

People are no longer willing to accept that as they age, they’re doomed to inactivity because of wear and tear on their joints. The number of patients under age 65 who are getting these procedures done has grown by a whopping 200% over the last twenty years.

A wide range of orthopedic conditions also lead to the need for knee or hip replacement, including:

• Osteoarthritis
• Fractures
• Past knee or hip surgery
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Hip dysplasia and Perthes disease (for hip arthroplasty), childhood condition
• Knee deformities 
• Osteoarthritis Dissecans, when bone under joint cartilage dies a blood flow deficit
• Osteonecrosis, or bone tissue death caused by lack of blood supply

If Dr. Mathews recommends total knee or hip arthroplasty for you, try not to feel overwhelmed. There are steps you can take to hasten your recovery, and the advanced techniques Dr. Mathews favors also help with recovery.

How to optimize your recovery from total knee or hip arthroplasty

Since Dr. Mathews performs knee and hip arthroplasty using minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever possible, you’re already set up for a better, quicker recovery experience. 

When you combine robotic surgery approaches with minimally invasive surgery — where just a few small incisions are required and specially designed surgical tools are used to perform the surgery — you’re going to enjoy a faster, less painful recovery and reduced bleeding, scarring, and risk for post-surgical infection.

Both procedures are often outpatient surgeries, so you typically return home the same day. Dr. Mathews, along with his colleagues at Texas Orthopedic Hospital, has even created a unique, exciting Rapid Recovery Program that “fast tracks” recovery from knee and hip replacement arthroplasty. The program is designed to get you feeling better and functioning fully sooner rather than later. 

Their plan for accelerated healing involves:

1. Highly coordinated in-hospital care

When your hospital experience and stay are skillfully executed, with team members performing with high efficiency, you will be discharged from the hospital ASAP so you can begin your recovery process.

2. Minimally invasive surgery

As we noted above, adopting minimally invasive surgical techniques offers patients significant advantages, including faster recovery and minimized discomfort and other post-surgical side effects.

3. Gentler anesthesia and pain meds

As opposed to strong, long-acting anesthesia and sedation drugs, you receive versions that aren’t as “high test,” but still do their job, similar to minimally invasive techniques. They achieve the same goals, but at less physical cost to you.

4. Moving as early as possible

Moving as soon as possible — in safe ways, of course — has been found to encourage your recovery and reduce the negative effects of joint replacement surgery. The saying “motion is lotion” is certainly true when it comes to joint replacement surgery recovery, and physical therapy is one of the most important things you can do as you become more active post-surgery.

We have found that these protocols accelerate patients' recovery even when they need to stay overnight at the hospital.

On the day of your surgery, you can expect:

• Your surgery to be scheduled early in the morning
• A meeting where you get fully briefed by your preop team and anesthesiologist
• A pre-procedure visit by Dr. Mathews so
• Post-surgery, your nurses closely monitor you
• You’ll meet your physical therapists, who will help you start moving

Before leaving the hospital, your PT team reviews what you should do at home and then the next phase of your healing quickly starts. 

If you sign up for the joint replacement Rapid Recovery Program, you can enjoy measurable benefits, and we’re here for you every step of the way.

Contact our convenient South Main Street office at 713-794-3548 to learn more about gaining mobility and feeling pain-free after joint replacement surgery or to book an appointment online.