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Courtney May is already planning her return to the ski slopes, following her smooth recovery after a hip replacement done as day surgery at The Ottawa Hospital.

When Courtney May had her first hip replacement in January 2014, she stayed in hospital for two days to recover. A year later, for her second hip replacement, she went home that same afternoon. For her, the two experiences were completely different.

“Having had my first hip done just one year earlier, I am able to compare the two experiences and would encourage other patients to be open-minded about going home the same day,” said May, 45. “Recovering in the privacy of my own home and at my own pace made this the best possible experience.”

The Ottawa Hospital is one of the first hospitals in Canada to offer hip and knee replacements as day surgery. Not only does this new approach improve the patient’s experience by getting them back to the comfort of their own home sooner, but it also offers significant cost savings to the health-care system.

“This is the joint replacement of the future for those healthy enough,” said Dr. Paul Beaulé, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery. “By working closely with our anesthesiologists, we’ve come up with a way for patients to safely monitor their progress from the comfort of their own home.”

“In addition to proper patient selection, the advanced approach to the surgery, proper choice of anesthesia and post-operative pain management are critical components towards the success of the program,” said Dr. John Penning, Anesthesiologist.

“I never felt as though I was being rushed out of the hospital and was reassured on multiple occasions that if I did not feel ready to go home, I would not be discharged,” said May. “With the support of my family and a very attentive medical team, I had the benefit of recovering in the comfort of my own home.”

Thanks to her smooth recovery, May plans to be back out skiing when the snow falls later this year.

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