Does preoperative hip rehabilitation advice improve recovery and patient satisfaction?

The goal of the current study was to investigate whether preoperative rehabilitation advice reinforced by a patient information booklet can aid recovery after total hip arthroplasty in terms of pain, function, satisfaction, and quality of life. Thirty-five patients awaiting primary total hip arthroplasty were recruited into this study and randomly allocated before admission to receive either the standard pathway of care or the rehabilitation program and booklet. All patients showed increases in function and psychological variables with time. The preoperative class and booklet, however, seemed to have the greatest impact on length of hospital stay, reducing the hospital stay by 3 days, and therapy input required, significantly influencing the cost of the procedure (the rehabilitation class led to a cost saving of 587 British pounds; approximately $810, per patient). In addition, patients attending the class reported higher levels of satisfaction (99% satisfied in the preoperative rehabilitation class compared with 80% in the control group 3 months postoperatively) and had more realistic expectations of surgery. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.