20 Tips to help u prepare for joint surgery.
1. Find an experienced surgeon – Your orthopaedic surgeon will become an important person in your life for years to come.
2. Educate yourself about your surgery – Learn as much as possible about pre-op preparations, the procedure, post-op care,
& post complications.
3. Seek a second opinion – Your surgeon should honor your right to confer with another, well-respected orthopedist if you have any doubts.
4. Plan ahead – Schedule surgery when you can afford to take time off from work, and when it will be least disruptive to your family.
5. Weigh risks versus benefits – Reconcile the big picture in your mind so you don’t go into surgery dwelling on risks or potential complications.
6. Have a positive attitude – Be encouraged and focus on the high rate of success for total joint procedures.
7. Talk with past patients – Hearing about other’s successes can help you gain perspective and ease your mind.
8. Visualize getting your life back – The pain and deterioration of your joint severely diminished your quality of life. Think about how much things can improve after surgery.
9. Realize feeling tense or anxious is normal – Don’t fight it!
10. Actively participate – Make a commitment to do your part to ensure a positive outcome and assume responsibility for your own care (i.e., follow precautions, do exercises daily, etc.). Consult with your orthopaedic surgeon with questions or concerns.
11. Practice on crutches – If you have spent time on crutches before, reacquaint yourself with them so the awkwardness won’t be overwhelming after surgery.
12. Don’t view the recovery process as time lost – This is time to rest and recuperate. Time invested in rehabilitation is necessary for better health.
13. Prioritize physical therapy – Realize your physical therapy and post-op exercise regimen are critical for a successful outcome. Think of each exercise as a stepping-stone toward improved strength, range of motion and function.
14. Prepare for downtime – Remember you will be laid up for about 6 weeks. Organize, schedule appointments and take care of as much business as possible before surgery.
15. Adapt your environment – Get ready for homecoming before you go to the hospital by having a raised toilet seat, reachers and other adaptive equipment already available.
16. Be conscious of infection – If you have any sign of any kind of infection anywhere in your body you must postpone surgery.
17. Donate autologous units of blood – You can donate your own blood in the weeks prior to surgery to be held for your operation.
18. Ask about current medications – Find out if you need to stop taking any prescription, over-the-counter or herbal remedies before surgery.
19. Arrange for help – Plan for someone to be with you, especially for the first week or two at home. If no one is available, make arrangements to enter a post-op inpatient rehabilitation facility until you are independent enough to care for yourself at home.
20. Take multi-vitamins and eat well-balanced meals – Be particularly health conscious during the weeks and months leading up to surgery to promote better healing.
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