Let Orthopedic Surgery Wait Until Morning When Possible

MONDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) Scheduling a prime daytime slot to undergo an orthopedic procedure may lower your risk of an unplanned follow-up surgery later on, a new study has found. The study, published in the September issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, found little difference otherwise for healing, recovery time and major complication rates between certain orthopedic surgeries done during the day (between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.) and those done after hours (4 p.m. to 6 a.m.). "Although everyone wants to be treated immediately, it may be in a patient's best interest to wait until morning. The reality is that the on-call night surgical team may not be well rested, as it is likely they had just finished a normal day shift," study lead author Dr. William M. Ricci, chief of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a news release issued by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (From: Healthfinder Sept 7, 2009)