Following the results of an in-depth study of 4,500 patients in the recovery period following knee and hip replacement surgery, there is robust evidence to support the theory that an enhanced recovery plan is the best approach to a successful recovery.
What is enhanced recovery?
An enhanced recovery plan is one where patients will be recommended a multimodal approach, involving behavioural, pharmacological, and procedural modifications to the ‘standard’ approach to rehabilitation.
The research looked at 4,500 patients, 1,500 of whom were treated with the enhanced approach, while the remaining 3,000 had standard care. The results were positive, suggesting that the enhanced approach is likely to result in faster recovery, with fewer requirements for medical interventions following the surgery.
The areas where benefits to the patient were seen are as follows:
- Length of hospital stay
- Mortality
- Perioperative complications (for example, the need for a blood transfusion following surgery)
- Overall satisfaction felt by the patient regarding their experience and treatment
Collaborative working methods
We are hearing more and more about the benefits of different parts of the health care system working together, taking a joined up, more collaborative approach to patient care and recovery. This way of working is cited as being fundamental to the success of an enhanced recovery approach, as explained by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health “a prerequisite for the success of these techniques is a multidisciplinary collaboration between patients, surgeons, anaesthetists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nursing staff.” This approach to enhanced recovery is used widely across the NHS, with ambitious plans to continue pushing this until the health service is fully integrated by 2018.
As a result, the NHS is working effectively to improve recovery following joint replacement surgery. The challenge is to get processes like this working as well in private clinics, as this method (and ability to offer such joined up care and service) is currently inconsistent. Mr Simon Bridle favours this approach and recognises the benefits, so patients treated in his care will benefit from a multimodal design to their recovery plan.
As with all operations and the subsequent recovery process, the most important factor is the best possible rehabilitation for the patients. Getting them back to normal as soon as possible is of the utmost importance to medical professionals, whether working in the public or private sectors.
Fortius Joint Replacement Centre
Mr Bridle and his colleagues at Fortius Clinic have worked with the BUPA Cromwell Hospital to develop an evidence based Enhanced Recovery programme, based at the BUPA Cromwell, to ensure the best treatment and outcome for our patients.
As Mr Bridle will explain to any patient he is treating, an effective, multimodal rehabilitation plan and initiatives that reduce the risk of post-operative complications are at the forefront of his approach to patient care.
To find out more about the Fortius Joint Replacement Centre, please click here.