TOTAL JOIN REPLACEMENTS OFTEN MEAN MONTHS OF RECOVERY STARTING WITH SEVERAL DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL HOOKED UP TO POWERFUL PAIN MEDS. NOW SURGEONS SAY THERE'S NO NEED FOR MOST PEOPLE TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN THE HOSPITAL OR TAKE NARCOTICS. DOCTORS ARE PUTTING THE POWER OF PAIN MANAGEMENT IN THE PATIENTS' HANDS. TONIGHT'S HEALTHCAST EXPLAINS. CHUCK SHORT RARELY MISSES HIS MARK. A SHOULDER INJURY THREATENED TO THROW HIM OFF TARGET. ("He's pretty good for a one-armed man.") CHUCK ORIGINALLY DISLOCATED THE JOINT DURING HIS DAYS AS A POLE-VAULTER. THREE DECADES LATER IT WAS TIME FOR A TOTAL SHOULDER REPLACEMENT. "Just kept slamming that shoulder." TYPICALLY, THE SURGERY PUTS PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE TO FIVE DAYS. BUT CHUCK WAS ON HIS WAY HOME ABOUT TWO HOURS AFTER THE OPERATION. "I was really amazed that he said that I was going to be home the same day." BEFORE SURGERY, CHUCK WAS FITTED WITH A HOME PAIN CATHETER. DOCTORS INSERT A TINY PLASTIC TUBE NEAR THE NERVES THAT FEED THE SHOULDER. IT'S CONNECTED TO A PUMP THAT HOLDS A SAFE AMOUNT OF NOVOCAINE. "They can dial back the local anesthetic. If they're not numb enough, they can go ahead and increase the rate on the pump so it infuses a continuous Novocaine -- a long-acting Novocaine -- through the pain catheter." "It's just like going to the dentist you're totally numb." PATIENTS WEAR THE PUMP FOR THREE DAYS, THEN PULL IT OUT THEMSELVES AND CONTINUE PAIN MEDS. "We feel if we can aggressively treat their pain for the first 72 hours or so, that the pain diminishes every day thereafter." DOCTORS SAY IT REDUCES THE NEED FOR NARCOTICS AND CUTS A HOSPITAL BILL BY AS MUCH AS TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS. "Much, much better than staying in the hospital." CHUCK EVEN FOUND A WAY TO GET BACK TO THE RANGE SOONER. ("Kind of taught myself how to shoot left-handed.") A SPORTSMAN WHOSE RECOVERY PLAN HIT THE BULLS-EYE. DOCTORS SAY THE PUMP HOLDS EXACTLY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF NOVOCAINE, TO PREVENT OVERDOSE. THE HOME PAIN CATHETER CAN BE USED FOR SHOULDER, ELBOW, WRIST, KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENTS. DOCTOR MALCHOW SAYS THERE IS ABOUT A ONE-PERCENT CHANCE THE PAIN MEDICATION DOESN'T REACH THE RIGHT NERVES AND THE PATIENT HAS TO BE RE-ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL.