Early follow-up after primary total knee and total hip arthroplasty with rapid recovery : Focus groups

Rapid recovery protocols reduce the length of hospital stay after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). However, little is known about the early postoperative phase. The purpose of this study was to examine which problems patients encountered during the first six weeks after primary TKA or THA surgery with rapid recovery. We invited twenty patients for a focus group meeting which discussed various subjects regarding the first six weeks after hospital discharge. The focus group meetings were analysed qualitatively. Patients were mostly satisfied by the short length of hospital stay. Patients who lived alone needs more care and would like to stay longer in the hospital. After THA surgery all patients complained of inability to sleep. More patients experienced pain after TKA surgery compared to THA surgery. All patients had various experiences regarding physical therapy therefore an evidence based rehabilitation protocol might be needed.