Hospital-Based Rapid Recovery Protocol in Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

This review aims to determine the elements a hospital-based knee arthroplasty program should consider when developing a rapid recovery protocol. It will examine the perioperative pathway and how a program can break down each phase for success. Secondary objectives of this review include how and why the culture surrounding knee arthroplasty has changed and why it is in a hospital's best interest to adopt a rapid recovery pathway in light of this new landscape. An extensive search was performed through databases which included Still OneSearch, EBSCOhost, and PubMed. Sources aligned with the review's objectives. Inclusion criteria involved primary sources, secondary sources, and peer-reviewed articles less than 5 years old. On finding primary and secondary sources, reference sections provided additional materials to ensure high-quality research. Outpatient knee arthroplasty has gained interest in the past 10 years, and rapid recovery protocols have helped promote this likely development. The rapidly changing landscape surrounding knee arthroplasty was triggered by insurance companies and pushed even further because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Developing a rapid recovery protocol in the hospital setting involves a change in overall culture, interprofessional participation, and patient and family cooperation. Although not an easy task, adopting a rapid recovery protocol for knee arthroplasty has been shown to improve overall patient outcomes by decreasing length of stay, decreasing complications, and increasing discharge home rates. Along with improved outcomes, we have improvements in patient satisfaction and overall cost savings.