Health Considerations Before Hip Surgery
This article will help you understand how to get ready for hip surgery. Hip surgery does come with possible complications.
What do I need to do to prepare for hip surgery?
Reading the information on this site, communicating with your surgical team, and paying close attention to any checklists provided will best help you prepare for knee replacement surgery. The importance of preparation and information to successful surgery cannot be overemphasized.
What health conditions must be considered before undergoing surgery?
Some patients have unusual problems, such as HIV infection, hemophilia, cancer, bleeding disorders, liver or kidney transplants, enzyme disorders, and other conditions that require specialty consultations before surgery. If these considerations apply to you, your medical team will work with you to obtain the necessary testing and treatment prior to surgery.
What medical testing is needed prior to hip replacement surgery?
Pre-surgical checks are essential for your safety and it is unwise to short-circuit them; they are comparable to pre-flight checks that every responsible pilot makes before taking off. Out-of-town patients, or those traveling long distances, can have local doctors perform these checks; your surgeon’s staff will work with your doctors to expedite this. Common pre-surgical checks are listed below.
Medical Check: Prior to your surgery, you should see an internal medicine specialist to identify and manage your health risks. Examples of increased risks are heart and lung disease, tooth and gum disease, infection, obesity, and diabetes. That is why patients should undergo testing and clearance by a medical doctor prior to hip replacement surgery.
Dental Check: A dental check-up is necessary to identify any hidden infection in your teeth or gums. Such infections must be treated before knee replacement to eliminate the risk that bacteria from decayed teeth enter the bloodstream and end up infecting the knee implants. If you are traveling from out of town, visit your dentist and forward the information to your surgeon.
Heart Check: If there is any reasonable suspicion of heart disease based on your history, it is best to find out ahead of time if your heart is healthy enough for knee replacement surgery. Heart disease is usually silent; patients do not have symptoms until the heart is stressed. If indicated, your surgeon will have you see a cardiologist before surgery for clearance.
What if I have bowel problems?
Pre-existing trouble with constipation usually leads to constipation and related problems after hip replacement. If you regularly take supplements to encourage bowel movements, let your doctor know so they can plan accordingly, since the medicines used during and after surgery can result in serious constipation.
You will be given a stool softener before surgery to avoid problems with constipation later. Even so, you can probably expect disturbance of bowel patterns and at least some degree of constipation after knee replacement surgery.
How does diabetes affect my surgery?
Blood glucose levels over 200 will lead to poor wound healing and increased risk of infection. Therefore, it is critical that your diabetes is under control prior to surgery. A medical consultation and lab data before surgery will ensure your diabetes is controlled and your surgical risk is minimized.
Does osteoporosis affect the success of a total knee replacement?
No. If bone has severe osteoporosis, it may not be possible to use an un-cemented prosthesis. However, the cemented version of total knees can be implanted in nearly every type of bone, including bone that has osteoporosis, and the outcomes are very successful.
What about alcohol and drug use?
Regular alcohol consumption should be disclosed to your anesthesiologist and surgeon ahead of time. Alcohol withdrawal can happen to anyone, regardless of economic or social background. When it happens, it can be life threatening and can complicate your recovery from surgery. If your medical team knows about alcohol consumption, they can take steps to avoid withdrawal. The same is true of recreational drugs. Be sure to talk about this with the anesthesia doctor.
What if I am a smoker?
Smoking increases the chance of lung complications during and after surgery, delays wound healing, increases the risk of complications after surgery, and increases the odds of residual knee pain even after successful hip replacement. Therefore, you should try to stop smoking, both for your general health, and to improve the odds of a successful result from knee replacement. Most hospitals are smoke-free, and you may not be able to smoke on the premises.
Does my body weight affect hip replacement?
Obesity will increase the risk of complications from surgery, such as blood clots and slower wound healing. Ideally, your weight should be within reasonable limits before knee replacement surgery. In some cases, for excessively heavy patients, knee replacement is not an option without drastic weight reduction, such as with gastric bypass surgery.
That said, many people are somewhat overweight and unable to lose weight while dealing with a painful arthritic knee. The knee components are designed to handle enormous loads, and are safe, even in very heavy people. There is no evidence to suggest that the components loosen up prematurely, or wear out prematurely in heavy people.
What about dieting and exercising before surgery?
Maintain a nutritionally sound diet including a variety of foods in preparation for surgery. Crash dieting is not necessary; rather, regular exercise will help control weight and improve overall health.
Exercise before surgery, done within reason, and within the capability of the patient, will improve the recovery from knee surgery. Therefore, a reasonable exercise program to strengthen your thigh and calf muscles before hip replacement surgery is the best thing you can do to speed up your recovery.
How can exercise before the surgery help my recovery after?
Exercising and strengthening the thigh and leg muscles before the operation will result in faster recovery and return to function, with less suffering, struggle, depression, and mood swings. Consultation with a physical therapist before surgery can be very useful.
The reason exercise helps is that the knee, even if worn out, is a living joint. Living tissues respond positively to physiologic stress, and exercise is known to improve self-perception, esteem, and outlook.
When do I first visit the hospital?
About a week or so before surgery, you will visit the pre-op department in the hospital. This visit is to read and sign consents for the surgery, for the anesthesia, and for blood products (if needed). You will have lab tests, possibly a chest X-ray, and an electrocardiogram. Please make a list of your medications and their dosages prior to this visit.
At this visit, you will be instructed on where to report on the morning of surgery. You will receive instructions on not eating or drinking after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes chewing gum and hard candy.
Keep in mind that surgery schedules change often; this is why the exact timing of the operation is not known until the day before. If you have a special preference, such as being the first in the day, or last, or in between, simply let the surgeon know and they’ll try to accommodate your request.
When will I be assigned a surgery time?
The hospital will contact you a day before the surgery to tell you what time to arrive at the hospital. Surgery schedules tend to change, which is why most hospitals will confirm the exact surgery time only a day or so before the operation. Please arrive early. The actual operation will usually be less than an hour in duration, but preparation takes much longer.
When do I see the anesthesiologist?
On the morning of your surgery, you will see an anesthesia doctor (anesthesiologist) who will have already reviewed your medical records. If your medical condition so requires, your surgical team will have consulted with the anesthesia doctor ahead of time. This doctor will inquire about your health and plan the anesthetic technique, including any regional nerve pain blocks. If you know of a particular anesthesiologist at the hospital whom you would prefer to provide this service, simply let them know ahead of time.
Should I donate my blood for surgery?
No. This is not necessary since not everyone needs a blood transfusion after knee replacement. If you have religious convictions against blood products, let your doctor know so they can arrange to recycle your own blood. Blood loss differs from patient to patient, and pre-existing conditions such as anemia and other diseases can affect the odds of needing blood after surgery.
As a general rule, major bone surgery is associated with blood loss, but it is impossible to say how much blood a particular patient will lose. If needed, blood transfusions today are very safe and effective.