Orthopedic surgeons should be available all the time after the surgery if the patient has a problem. In the hospital, most orthopedic surgeons have physician extenders and nurses available to help patients with their pain requirements. Hospitals that do a good volume of joint replacement procedures have most questions answered by in-hospital staff while patients are in the hospital. If the patient needs to reach me, they call the service and are able to reach me emergently.
If the patient is in the hospital it is better for the nurse to reach me so that the relevant clinical information is conveyed and if any medication changes need to happen, they can be conveyed to the nurse directly. For medical issues in the postoperative period we usually have a medicine doctor on board who takes care of the medical issues including nausea, giddiness, asthma, drop in hemoglobin level, abnormal potassium levels, etc.