Greater Baltimore Medical Center Opens Dedicated Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Center

Greater Baltimore Medical Center opened a new outpatient surgery center in Towson this month dedicated to same-day joint replacement and other orthopedic procedures, reflecting a broader shift in orthopedic surgery away from traditional overnight hospital stays.

The center is designed specifically around same-day discharge protocols for hip and knee replacement patients, using updated anesthesia techniques and post-operative pain management approaches that allow many patients to go home just hours after surgery rather than spending one or more nights in the hospital.

"Ten years ago, almost every joint replacement patient stayed in the hospital for two or three nights, and now a well-selected patient can often go home the same day and actually recover better in their own environment," said GBMC's chief of orthopedic surgery. "This building was designed from scratch around that model instead of retrofitting a traditional hospital floor."

The facility includes four dedicated operating rooms and a post-anesthesia recovery area designed for orthopedic patients specifically, along with an on-site physical therapy space for immediate post-surgical mobility sessions. GBMC officials said the center is expected to perform roughly 1,800 procedures annually once fully operational.

Hospital officials said the shift to outpatient orthopedic surgery has been driven partly by patient preference and partly by insurers increasingly favoring same-day procedures where clinically appropriate. GBMC said the new center will not replace inpatient joint replacement capability at its main campus, which will continue serving patients with more complex medical needs who require an overnight hospital stay.