HealthDay reports on HSS study results published in the Journal of Arthroplasty by hip and knee surgeon Geoffrey H. Westrich, MD, finding for many people undergoing total hip or knee replacement, same-day surgery is a safe option.

The study of nearly 1.8 million patients in overall good health found similar post-op complication rates among those who had outpatient joint replacement surgery compared to those who spent a night or two in the hospital.

Dr. Westrich noted, “The results are really interesting and basically demonstrate that with proper patient selection outpatient surgery can be done safely and can benefit the patient.”

He explained that same-day patients still need follow-up. “All patients at our hospital receive a telephone call the next day to see how they are doing and if they need any help with anything,” he added.

But for young, healthy and “highly motivated patients,” outpatient surgery can be a good fit, Dr. Westrich said.

Read the full article at Healthday.com. Additional coverage: USnews.com.