Knee and hip pain can really put a dent in day to day activities and quality of life. As a result, especially in cases of severe arthritis, knee and hip replacements have become a fairly common solution. But before going under the knife, there are some questions that should be asked.
The first should be if there are any non-surgical solutions. Before surgery is considered, there are things such as weight loss and exercise that may help. Medications, injections, and braces may also help. When those have all been tried and surgery has been decided on, there are other questions you should ask your doctor. Questions such as…
- How much will the surgery improve my pain and/or quality of life?
- What are the possible problems I may face as a result of the surgery?
- What are the different types of replacements?
- Will I be under general or regional anesthesia?
- How many of these surgeries has my doctor performed and what were the results?
- Should I make any changes around the house and how much assistance will I need when I get home?
- How long will I be in the hospital?
- How much pain will I feel?
- What will my pain management consist of?
- How long before I’m up and around again?
- Will I need physical therapy?
- Can I do the therapy at home or will I need to go someplace for it?
- Is there anything I won’t be able to do after the surgery?
- When can I drive, and return to work?
- How long can I expect the joint to last?
Knee and hip replacement can make huge improvements in quality of life and can lessen pain drastically. But it’s important to know all your options before undergoing it, and it’s also important to know what’s going to happen before, during, and after the surgery. So don’t hesitate to ask your doctor any and all questions you may have.
Written by: Tricia Doane, FizzNiche Staff Writer
Sharing is Caring!
Thank you for this information about the questions to ask your doctor before knee or hip replacement surgery. It is good to know that an appropriate question is to find how much the surgery will improve your pain and quality of life. Something to think about would be to find a specialist who has performed surgeries similar to the one you need.