Introduction

If you and your physician have decided that joint replacement surgery is your best option, you'll want to begin preparing for the surgery as soon as possible. Although your surgeon will provide you with specific instructions to help you prepare for surgery, it's important to have a good understanding of what to expect.

Educate Yourself About Joint Replacement Surgery

Ask your doctor for printed material about your surgery and about tests and treatments that you will undergo. Many doctors have easy-to-read brochures and pamphlets, and many have websites that include surgical procedure information. Another good source of online joint replacement surgery information is the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.AAOS.org). The Arthritis Foundation also hosts an excellent site on arthritis-related issues (arthritis.org), and DePuy sponsors another joint health website Allaboutarthritis.com, offering a comprehensive resource for arthritis information. Your local library can also direct you to many useful publications.

Collecting Your Personal and Medical Information

Before your surgery, you will be asked for your personal and medical information. You'll be asked about your insurance coverage, your medical history, what medications you are currently taking and even your legal arrangements. To speed up the process, write down all of your information ahead of time. Click here to view a helpful "medical information worksheet". Print and complete the worksheet to help record and organize your medical information. You may wish to write down your insurance and legal information on the back of one of these worksheets, including contact names and phone numbers.

Before surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon may make some health and lifestyle recommendations. The surgeon may suggest that you:

• Eat well balanced meals
• Get plenty of rest
• Cut back or eliminate alcohol
• Stop or cut down on smoking
• Stop taking certain drugs
• Exercise to improve and maintain muscle tone and joint motion (your doctor may prescribe regular physical therapy)
• Donate some of your own blood so that, if needed, you may receive it during surgery

According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), a caregiver is "anyone who provides assistance to another adult who is ill, disabled or needs some help." A recent study by the AARP and the Family Caregiver Alliance estimates that 52 million Americans provide care to someone aged 20+ who are ill or disabled.

As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can determine whether an orthopaedic implant is an appropriate course of treatment. There are potential risks, and recovery takes time. The performance of the new joint depends on weight, activity level, age and other factors. These need to be discussed with your doctor.