PHYSIOLOGIC AND PSYCHOLOGIC RESPONSES OF ELECTIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS Early Definite or Late Indefinite Scheduling of Surgical Procedure

Two groups of 30 patients who had the same type of corrective hip surgical procedure by the same orthopedic surgeon over a six-months' period were compared to test the effect of prolonged indefinite presurgical waiting as opposed to early definite scheduling of the surgery. Patients were tested for physiologic and psychologic variables. Little demonstrable difference was found in the quality of recovery of patients who had early or late surgery when variables were comparable and patients were convinced the surgery would relieve pain and restore function. A method for evaluating postoperative recovery for specific surgical patient populations is demonstrated.