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The most important element for a successful joint replacement is
finding a surgeon who is skilled – and one you can trust.
Several of our surgeons are specially trained in joint replacement.
St Cloud Orthopedics is dedicated to helping those who are dealing
with joint issues, and they can be trusted to undertake the appropriate
surgery for joint replacement in your situation. Utilizing state
of the art techniques and technologies, our surgeons perform up
to 1,000 joint replacements annually.
When other options are unable
to relieve the pain, joint replacement can get the patient back to
enjoying life again. A healthy joint is formed by the ends of two
bones that are connected by a layer of a thick smooth tissue called
cartilage. When cartilage is strong and normal it is nearly frictionless
and allows for pain free movement. However, when the cartilage gets
worn or torn, joints become stiff and painful.
Joint replacement surgery is an elective procedure, meaning the decision
to actually go ahead and have the surgery is up to you, based on
the advice of your physician.
Some factors that may influence your decision:
- Pain
- Your ability to work and/or enjoy
hobbies
- Other options aren’t helping relieve the pain enough,
such as medications or physical therapy
- You avoid using the
hurting joint, which may lead to not exercising, or gaining weight
Communicating with your doctor about the option of surgery, weighing
both the benefits and the risks, can help you decide what’s
right in your situation.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons for having a joint
replaced. Osteoarthritis is the breaking down of the joint’s
cartilage. Being overweight, ligament tears, a joint fracture, a
deformed joint or defective cartilage can all lead to or cause osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammation of
the joint lining, can also lead to joint replacement. This form of
arthritis often causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. In some cases,
it can enter and damage the bone and cartilage.
Other potential reasons
for joint replacement may be bone tumors, poor blood supply, trauma,
or connective tissue disorders.
Learning what to expect before and after joint replacement surgery
can greatly reduce anxiety and stress relating to the surgery.
The more you know and understand about the surgery you’ll
be going through, the more capable you’ll be in facing the
challenges and changes that having the surgery will have on your
day-to-day life. Ask questions. Talk through the issues or concerns
you may have. Speak to your doctor and get a clear understanding
of the process.
For starters, you may want to find out about some
of the following:
- why this particular procedure is being recommended,
- the process
of being admitted to the hospital,
- the type of anesthesia you
might need,
- how the procedure is done,
- the alternatives to this surgery, if
any,
- the type of implant that will be used,
- the length of stay in the
hospital,
- rehabilitation and pain management.
Minimally-invasive surgery. There are many advantages to minimally
invasive surgery.
- Patients are able to leave the hospital and resume
their normal lifestyle activities sooner.
- Lower required doses
of medication.
- The body endures less trauma.
- Blood loss is minimized during surgery.
- Presurgery blood donations are usually not necessary.
- The surgical scar is smaller.
Hip or knee replacements can last up to 20 years.
- Compile
your medical and personal information, such as: insurance coverage,
medical history, legal arrangements, list of medication, list of previous
medical conditions, etc.
- Prepare yourself physically: eat well,
do excercises recommended by your doctor, cut down or quit smoking,
don’t have any alcohol for at least
48 hours prior to surgery.
- Since recovering from joint replacement surgery
will take some time, prepare your home for when you get back
from surgery: ask someone to stay with you.
- Make sure all the
doctors and other medical professionals you’re
working with have all the information they need to make the right
decisions.
This is an extremely abbreviated list of how you can prepare for
surgery. Please consult your doctor for more information.
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