Once you and your Doctor decide that surgery will help you, you'll need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.

 

Working with Your Doctor

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Before surgery, your doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don't have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.

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• Discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery

• If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your new joint. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery

• If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications or warfarin or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding

• If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery

• Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later

• Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron

• Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up

• Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and laundry

• Make sure you have a stable chair with a firm seat cushion, a firm back and two arms