The prospect of a hip or knee replacement can often seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. Most people’s idea of what a joint replacement entails is actually far more drastic than the reality; and advances in medical technology and technique mean it’s now a far less complex procedure than it used to be.
It’s a much less drastic operation than people think.
It’s basic human nature to be scared of having a part of your body replaced, but most of these procedures are very delicate, planned surgeries where we replace surfaces and articulations (which is the joint). The success rate is extremely high and furthermore, there is an extremely small chance of anything going wrong during a hip or knee replacement, and anything that does go wrong can be managed and rectified.
What we have noticed is that when people are scared, it’s the result of a lack of information and understanding about the procedure – and, even more importantly, a failure to grasp the magnitude of the positive change it can bring to their lives. Once people hear about the impact a joint replacement can have – often from friends or family – their fear disappears quite quickly!
A joint replacement will completely change your quality of life – for the better.
Hip replacement completely changes your quality of life and makes you feel like a different person almost 99% of the time, and in the case of a knee replacement it’s more approximately 95% of the time.
For someone who is living with hip or knee pain that is making it hard to enjoy their life, it’s a game changer; for these people they often have a completely restored quality of life as a result of total pain relief.
A hip or knee replacement only requires a short stay in hospital.
In today’s world, with the technology and the techniques we have, a hip replacement is usually a very straightforward, streamlined and well-rehearsed process.
Before patients come in for their surgery, they are assessed to ensure they are medically fit for surgery. This is often guided by the anesthetic team who ensure the patient’s heart, chest and so on are fit to undertake the procedure. This precedes the procedure so that if there are any issues we have enough time to make necessary adjustments.
After the presurgical assessment, patients will come in for the operation, and at this point there are two pathways they usually follow:
Outpatient pathway. This means that the patient will go home on the same day that their procedure takes place. Medically fit patients who have reasonable social support will often take the outpatient pathway, and this will always be communicated to them well in advance.
Inpatient pathway. This means the patient will stay in hospital for one or two nights after their procedure, either because they don’t have the necessary support at home, or because they have a medical condition that requires us to observe them for a bit longer after the procedure.
We have new safety measures in place in light of COVID.
We have instituted many new safety measures to ensure the health and success of our patients and staff. Where possible, our appointments, pre-surgical screenings and check-ups will be done via telephone or email. For more information on our enhanced safety COVID procedures, please visit https://daytonorthopedicsurgery.com/adapting-our-practice-to-covid-19/
We support patients with physical therapy after their procedure.
After the patient wakes up from their surgery, the patient is seen by a physical therapist, who will start walking with them and beginning exercises on the joints so they get moving straight away.
There are two types of recovery that we talk about, one being the ‘immediate recovery’ which refers to when patients can go home, followed by the delayed recovery that refers to specific, higher intensity activities. For many, ‘immediate recovery’ will be on the same day, and they’ll be walking, drinking, eating and doing simple exercises focused on the joint that has been replaced. The wound usually takes up to two weeks to heal, and the patient will be taking oral pain medication – nothing too strong – while the pain from the procedure settles down.
We support all of our patients in their individual aims, first by giving them a set of exercises to do during the two weeks after they leave hospital. After two weeks they return to the hospital for a surgeon to check their wound has healed correctly, and start some outpatient physical therapy where they step up their exercises and activities. The physical therapy continues until they have reached their personal recovery goals; for example, long walks , gym, exercises and sports.
Our orthopedic department has a team-based approach, with quick results.
We have a team of hip and knee specialists working together on similar principles, which offers the opportunity to discuss and pass on cases based on expertise. Our surgical Dream Team has been in place for a long time and has dealt with a high volume of joint replacements – both simple and complex – so they are highly capable of dealing with all sorts of needs and demands.
However, the key attraction for an independent orthopedic practice like Dayton Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Center is that the time between initial consultation and surgery can be greatly reduced over a large, bureaucratic hospital organization. An excellent team provides planned care tailored to individual patient needs. You are far more than just another name and number to us!
Don’t let COVID put you off having a joint replaced.
Proceeding with joint replacement surgery during COVID should be discussed with your Orthopedic surgeon. We have very well-established pathways to manage joint replacement patients during the COVID pandemic and we know from experience that hip and knee replacements can be undertaken safely by adhering to our guidelines. There is absolutely no need to struggle with painful hips and knees that significantly affect your quality of life and sleep.
Call us today to set up a consultation with our joint replacement team.