Weighing the positives and negatives of hip or knee replacement surgery means finding out if you’re the “right patient.” Enjoying a more active lifestyle and dealing with less pain are the obvious benefits. But, the inherent risks of surgery–infections and complications–must always be considered.
Dr. Tariz Nayfeh, MD, PhD, and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore MD says that…
“Joint replacement surgery can be … life-changing … but it won’t help everyone with hip or knee pain.”
Nayfeh explains the cautions of this surgery for certain people. Joint replacement may not help you if you have these problems:
- recent infections (which could spread to the surgical site)
- history of heart attack, stroke or diabetes
- obesity
- scans showing no damage in joint
- pain when resting
WebMD experts describe the basic criteria for the appropriate candidate for hip or knee replacement. You will likely benefit from the procedure if you’ve had:
- severe, chronic pain, lasting at least six months
- difficulty walking, getting up from a chair, climbing stairs or other normal activities
- pain that affects quality of daily life and mood
- joint and bone damage in x-rays and other imaging
- failure of non-surgical treatments such as walkers, injections and medications
- a knee that is swollen or deformed
Joint replacements are now considered common, and are successful in pain relief and increased mobility for about 90% of patients. However, the benefits must be considered along with the risks, when you’re deciding whether or not to have a surgical knee or hip replacement.
Original article: www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/knee-hip-replacement-14/candidate-surgery
Written by: Ruby Moseley, Rust Built, Marketing Services
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