Shoulder replacements are primed to fully shift to outpatient settings in the near future due to anesthesia, pain management and technique improvements, according to one surgeon.
Hayden Baker, MD, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Endeavor Health Orthopaedic & Spine Institute in Skokie, Ill., recently connected with Becker’s to share what he sees in the future for shoulder surgeries in ASCs.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to orthopedic surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting orthopedic care. Becker’s invites all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
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Please send responses to Cameron Cortigiano at ccortigiano@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST on Nov. 24.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What’s one procedure you believe will be performed entirely outpatient within the next three years?
Dr. Hayden Baker: Within the next few years, I believe most shoulder replacements will be performed safely and efficiently in the outpatient setting. Improvements in anesthesia, multimodal pain management and minimally invasive surgical techniques have dramatically reduced postoperative discomfort and complication rates. With proper patient selection and coordinated perioperative care, same-day discharge for shoulder arthroplasty will soon become standard.
