Med Tech Dive interviewed orthopedics executives and surgeons including Michael P. Ast, MD, hip and knee surgeon and Chief Medical Innovation Officer at HSS about orthopedic trends for 2024. 

“What excites me more than any particular technology or particular implant is the ability to start quantifying what we do, gathering data in aggregate and starting to learn how to make better decisions for patients over time,” Dr. Ast said. 

Today, more hip and knee replacements are done in hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The shift has been driven in part by the pandemic and changes to Medicare payment policies. 

At a hospital like HSS, about 30% of hip and knee surgeries are done outpatient, said Dr. Ast, who does the majority of his surgeries in that setting. Before the pandemic, that number was closer to 1%. 

Eventually, Dr. Ast expects about half of hip and knee replacements will be done outpatient. The exception is revision surgeries, which require complex medical care.  

Read the full article at medtechdive.com.