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Hours after getting a new knee, Bill McDowall was out of Brantford General Hospital and sitting in his favorite chair with his dog, Daisy.
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“It’s pretty amazing when I think about it,” said McDowall, who lives with wife Molly in Port Ryerse in Norfolk County. “I went in for surgery at 8 am and was out by 3:30 pm
“I came home and sat in my La-Z-Boy chair, the same one I used when I had my first knee replacement surgery.”
McDowall, 67, is among the first patients to have participated in the same-day joint program introduced last November by the Brant Community Healthcare System, which operates BGH. The program enables selected patients to go home on the same day following hip, knee or shoulder surgery.
“I was a good candidate for this program for several reasons,” McDowall said. “I’ve had one knee replaced already, so I knew what to expect and what had to be done after surgery.
“I also have help at home – my wife, Molly.”
The retired energy worker has been walking around in pain for years, after having torn the cartilage in both knees. An otherwise healthy person, McDowall said he figures his knee woes stem from years of walking on concrete, hereditary factors and an active lifestyle.
Other men in his family also have knee troubles, he said.
McDowall had his first knee replacement surgery in October 2020.
He said he is happy with his second surgery, which was performed last November.
“I can’t say enough about how everything was handled,” McDowall said. “Ten days before the surgery, I had a pre-op meeting with everyone involved in the operation.
“We covered a lot of areas. So, in terms of my recovery, I was really well prepared. ”
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On the day of surgery, everything ran smoothly and McDowall marveled at the professionalism of hospital staff. His recovery was aided by Game Ready, a cold compression home therapy machine that helps reduce pain and swelling.
The machine replaces ice packs and is more effective, he said.
To help with his rehabilitation, McDowall rides a stationary bike and walks regularly He enjoys golfing and hopes to be able to walk the golf course when the season starts.
A provincial initiative already in place at other hospitals, the same day joint program includes a lot of education provided by health-care professionals at the pre-op session, said Jordan Dewar, BCHS’s clinical manager of medical B7 and interim manager of the COVID- 19 assessment center.
“It’s all about preparing the patient for success,” Dewar said. “We make sure the patient has access to educational materials, understands pain management and they also have the opportunity to ask questions.”
Patients who qualify for the same day program are identified by their surgeon and their eligibility is confirmed at the pre-op meeting.
Those who qualify are generally under 80, have good mobility, have support at home and don’t have underlying medical conditions that require monitoring following surgery.
The program provides benefits to the health-care system because it frees up beds in the hospital.
The health-care system performs close to 10,000 surgical procedures a year. Of those, around 600 are knee surgeries and 200 or so are hip and shoulder operations.
Depending on the surgery – hip, knee or shoulder – patients can spend from one to three days in hospital following the procedure.
Health-care system officials see the program as being important because the demand for joint surgery is increasing as the population ages.
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