Outpatient Joint Replacement

Heal at Home

As The Premier Provider of Orthopedic Care in Central Pennsylvania, Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster and North Pointe Surgery Center are proud to be the first in the region to offer outpatient (same-day) joint replacement surgery. Patients stand, walk, and return home the same day as surgery!

The goal of outpatient joint replacement is to provide our patients with better outcomes than inpatient surgery while also reducing costs, increasing patient comfort, and avoiding risks associated with a hospital stay. Traditionally performed as inpatient procedures, total hip and knee replacements can now be performed on an outpatient basis, allowing patients to go home just hours after surgery. You may be a candidate for same-day joint replacement surgery if you are active and in good health with no major medical conditions. If you have a strong support system at home, with family or friends who are willing to assist in your recovery, and you are committed to your physical therapy care plan and doing what it takes to recover at home, outpatient joint replacement may be an option for you.

What Is Outpatient Joint Replacement?

The number of joint replacement surgeries performed in outpatient facilities has greatly increased over the last few years and continues to grow. It is safe and cost-effective for appropriately selected patients. All outpatient joint replacement surgeries performed by Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster take place at North Pointe Surgery Center located in Lancaster and Lebanon

You may be a candidate for outpatient joint replacement surgery if:

  • You are active and in good health, with no major medical conditions
  • You have a strong support system at home, with family or friends who are willing to assist in your recovery
  • You are committed to your physical therapy care plan and doing what it takes to recover at home

Our board-certified joint replacement surgeons, Dr. Christopher Cooke, Dr. Rodney Brenneman, and Dr. Gregory Tocks, are trained in the latest outpatient joint replacement techniques to help you return to your active lifestyle sooner. To see if a joint replacement is a right option for you, call 717-299-4871 or request an appointment online.

Benefits of the minimally invasive outpatient hip and knee replacement include:

  • Ability to recover in the comfort of your own home, thereby eliminating the risk of hospital-acquired infections
  • Smaller incisions, which results in:
    • Less pain and swelling
    • Decreased scarring
    • Faster recovery
    • Minimal blood loss during surgery and fewer complications
    • Less damage to surrounding tissues
    • Increased range of motion after surgery
  • Total Hip Replacement 
  • Total Knee Replacement

Once you and your surgeon decide to move forward with surgery, you must complete the following for outpatient joint replacement surgery: 

Meet Your Nurse Navigator 
A caring and knowledgeable nurse is here for you every step of the way through your joint replacement.

Outpatient Joint Replacement Class
Educational class to help you understand your joint replacement journey—from preparing for surgery, arriving on the day of surgery, and what your discharge plans are for your recovery.

Preoperative Physical Therapy Consultation
Pre-habilitation is a series of exercises you will do before your surgery. There are many benefits to committing to this plan. “Pre-hab” will help prepare you mentally and physically for your surgery.

Recovery at Home
After the surgery is behind you, it is time to focus on your recovery and physical therapy plan.

Thanks to the high standards of preoperative and postoperative care at Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster and North Pointe Surgery Center, we create a comfortable environment where you can recover from surgery. The orthopedic team at Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster and North Pointe Surgery Center is here with you each step of the way. Together, we’ll help you through the recovery process and get you back to your active lifestyle.

It has been scientifically proven that patients have better outcomes when they can recover in their own homes, making this an attractive option for both doctors and patients. But how do you prepare for the recovery process at home? What do you need to do in advance to get ready?

Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster's nurse navigator guides the patients through the entire surgical process, from making the decision to have surgery through their rehabilitation.

Photo: Christine Speros, BSN, RN

Christine Speros, BSN, RN

WHAT OUR PATIENTS ARE SAYING

Your good health is our priority. Our patients are like family, and the best part of our job is seeing them get back to doing what they love. If our comprehensive, compassionate approach to orthopedic care is changing your life too, please let us know! Send an email to oalmarketing@fixbones.com with your name and contact information.

Mary Jo's Success Story – Hip Replacement

Photo: Mary Jo

Life before surgery . . . 
I had trouble walking and enjoying my super active lifestyle. Physically, I couldn’t do the things I loved to do without constant pain, and sleeping was becoming quite a challenge.

How has life changed since surgery . . . 
I feel like I truly have my life back for the first time in years!  Since the hip replacement surgery, I can walk better, shoot archery, bowfish, and a ton of other activities pain-free! 

Meeting Dr. Gregory Tocks . . .
I was referred to Dr. Tocks, and after meeting with him, I believed he truly cares about his patients and getting them back to being whole again. I had no questions after I visited with Dr. Tocks. I wanted my life back and trusted he would give it to me. 

The advice I would give and have given people in my situation . . . 
Do it! Put the work in, and you won’t regret it. I’m super thankful I went through the Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster Outpatient Joint Replacement program and recommend it to anyone living with hip pain.

– Mary Jo