Outpatient Total Joint Replacement Surgery

Thorough patient education is crucial to the success of total joint replacement surgery, both for patients staying overnight and at home. Because same-day patients leave the hospital after their surgeries, South Shore Health schedules a detailed appointment before the surgery to prepare patients, including outlining proper home arrangements, wound care, using a walker, and doing necessary post-surgery physical therapy exercises. Then, care providers will go back over post-care instructions again on the day of their surgery, before the operation, to ensure patients have all the information and support they need for a successful recovery. 

Care instructions won’t be given after surgery because patients are usually groggy from anesthesia. Instead, the focus is for them to safely get home and rest.

Personal pain management medications are coordinated with your doctors and your care team. Outpatients receive individual care and medications from the same team that monitors patients recovering in the hospital. There is no difference in the level of care for patients recovering in the hospital and at home. 

South Shore Health’s Physical Therapy and Wellness is where post-surgical patients connect for rehabilitation. South Shore VNA (Visiting Nurse Association) delivers physical and occupational therapy directly to patients in their own homes. Beyond in-home care, South Shore Health offers classes, aqua therapy, and nutrition resources to heal, strengthen, and nurture the body.

South Shore Health recognizes who is caring for you is just as important as how they do it.  Our fellowship-trained surgeons have trained at the world's best institutions. Your surgeon provides your care. Also, all of the nurses on this team are orthopedically trained, rounding out a highly-qualified surgical team. 

Post-operation, our South Shore VNA nurses, as well as our occupational and physical therapists, are highly skilled at helping patients safely become active again, without pain. From pre-operative assessments to cutting-edge surgery, to personal in-home care, to outpatient rehabilitation, South Shore Health delivers a comprehensive, full spectrum of care, As One.

Your Home Team

Getting proper physical therapy, occupational therapy, and discharge instructions are critical to recovery – and so is a social support network of family members and friends. All surgical patients benefit from having a support network to assist with meals, household chores, exercises, and transportation to and from physical therapy appointments.

Healing at home provides many benefits for patients. Restful sleep in the patient’s own bed comes without the noise and monitors of a hospital stay. 

Patients also benefit from being around their loved ones who know how to comfort them best. Round-the-clock care team members are available to offer support and answer any questions and concerns that may arise.

South Shore Health offers two beautiful, convenient locations with cutting-edge expertise right in your backyard. 

South Shore Hospital at 55 Fogg Road in Weymouth offers a Level II Trauma Center with expert orthopedic surgeons for emergencies.  South Shore Hospital is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Distinction Center + for spine surgery. In addition, South Shore Hospital’s Emerson-5 designated inpatient unit is an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nursing Magnet designation. 

The Center for Orthopedics, Spine, and Sports Medicine at 2 Pond Park in Hingham offers a top-tier facility staffed with an extensive team of surgical, pain management, orthopedic, podiatric, diagnostic imaging, and rehabilitation experts who specialize in treating a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions.  Both locations offer the South Shore a less stressful surgical experience without the hassle of driving to­--and parking in—Boston. 

South Shore Health is here for delivering the best care for total joint replacement surgical patients, and that means getting them home to their loved ones faster, and then rehabilitated so they can get back to doing what they love with their loved ones quicker.