We created a clinical program applying best care practices for professionals involved in total hip and knee replacement care (anesthesiologist, nurse, internal physician, orthopedist, pharmacist and physiotherapist).

We wanted to improve the post-operative condition of patients so that they could go home within 24 hours of surgery. In one study, we compared 120 patients who underwent a total hip or knee replacement with our short-stay protocol to a control group of 150 patients. The clinical results were impressive. We improved quality of care by reducing the rate of adverse events by 50% compared to the traditional care plan. The length of stay for the short-stay group was 2.8 days shorter for total hip replacements and 3.9 days shorter for total knee replacements.

The financial impact of the optimized short-stay protocol was estimated at a savings of $1,500 per total hip replacement and $4,200 per total knee replacement. Our program is a great example of successful teamwork. The combined expertise of each employee while working toward a common goal created a synergistic practice that led to remarkable clinical results.

We are currently sharing our expertise by teaching this program to a number of teams across Canada. The wider implementation of this protocol will improve the well-being of patients suffering from joint degeneration in the hip and knee.

Project submitted by Dr. Pascal-André Vendittoli, orthopedic surgeon at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital and his colleagues