Surgery changes could halve waiting times

As reported by the BBC, changes to hip and knee surgery could halve waiting lists at one hospital within a year, say doctors

Tweaks to surgeries at the Princess of Wales hospital in Bridgend have allowed more patients to be sent home on the same day. This comes as over 37,000 orthopaedic patients are waiting over one year for surgery in Wales.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Keshav Singhal said a number of “minor tweaks” were made to the procedure “but all of them add up to a huge effect”.

He said the anaesthetic and pain medication given to patients is “fine-tuned” to reduce pain and nausea after the operation and extra time is spent pinpointing any potential area of bleeding and cauterising it to “prevent wound leakage”.

“Patients can come in, be very well cared for in a state of the art day-surgery unit, and go home in the evening, and that totally cuts down on the inpatient beds.”

The lack of capacity in hospitals has been the catalyst for innovation in orthopaedic surgery, according to Mr Singhal. Traditionally people might have required several days in hospital after a joint replacement, but fewer beds are currently available across Wales because around 1,000 people every month can’t be discharged because of the lack of social care.

The numbers waiting more than a year for trauma and orthopaedic surgery in Wales currently stands at 37,396, with over a third of those waiting longer than two years.

However, Mr Singhal explained day surgery is only suitable for patients who are relatively fit, motivated to do the rehabilitation exercises, and with family support.

While day-surgery joint replacements aren’t unusual, the tweaks made have meant the hospital has been able to formalise this alternative route for some patients. This then frees up capacity on other surgical lists for those with more complex needs, who will require a bed on a ward.