April 3, 2023
WESTLOCK — More northern Alberta residents are able to return home on the day of surgery after having hip or knee replacements at the Westlock Healthcare Centre.
Dr. Jan Lategan recently performed “day-zero” hip arthroplasties, or replacements, on the first patients to receive this procedure in Westlock. Previously, most northern Alberta patients travelled to Edmonton or Calgary for a “day-zero” — or outpatient — hip replacement.
“Reducing surgical wait-times is among our top priorities for the health system and, through strategies like this, we are working toward ensuring all Albertans can get their surgeries faster, and to get them home and back to their lives as quickly as possible,” says Minister of Health Jason Copping.
Dr. Lategan says day-zero arthroplasty can be “very successful” for the right patients, particularly with the less invasive hip replacement surgeries.
“Patients need to be motivated for rehabilitation and recovery. Having a good support system is another important consideration.”
The second patient to receive a day-zero hip replacement in Westlock, Mona Koberstein, says,
“It was a very positive experience. I was tottering around with my walker when I got home. Two months later, I went to Disneyland with my family and had zero issues. I was able to walk around pain-free.”
In addition to benefiting patients, day-zero arthroplasty helps to shorten surgical wait times by eliminating cancellations due to bed shortages.
To date, there have been five day-zero hip surgeries and one knee surgery at the Westlock Healthcare Centre. In future, they hope to see one or two day-zero arthroplasties per week.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
