How To Prepare For Hip Replacement Surgery?

If following an evaluation by an orthopaedic doctor, he recommends a hip replacement surgery; you need to be prepared for this procedure. Now that you made the decision to get your hip replaced, do not leave everything to the last minute before the surgery. The right preparation can make a big difference to ensure smooth and speedy recovery.

• • One to 2 months before surgery, fix an appointment with your primary care physician to get pre-operative medical clearance.
  • 2-3 weeks before surgery, meet with nurse and anesthologist in your medical team for pre-surgical check up like medical history review, testing blood, physical examination, EKG or Chest X-ray and signing of blood transfusion form. Give the team details of all current medication including nutritional supplements.

• Learn about the procedure: Before getting admitted to the hospital, find out all details about hip replacement surgery. This includes what to expect from the procedure and what type of joint must be chosen. Online medical sites will be a good source of information. Learn about cost of total hip replacement in India.

• Make note of all questions and answers: Write down all the doubts you need to clear with your doctor. You may have several things to ask, but may forget in the office of the doctor. So, jot down the questions in a note pad in anticipation for your appointment.
• Consider the effect of surgery on work: Dwell on how the surgery will impact your home and office life. Based on what you do for a living, it might take weeks or months to return to your work place.
• Build up your body before surgery: Getting into shape before surgery will help in fast and smooth recovery. Try losing some pounds if you are overweight. Also, try to enhance body strength. It will be easier to walk about using crutches or walker post surgery, if you have built up body strength before the procedure.
• Consult a Physical Therapist (PT): You can do this ideally even before your surgery. Right exercise is vital for smooth recovery and successful outcomes from hip replacement. If you have practice of exercise before surgery, it will be easy to do it after the procedure.
• Do a test-drive on your walker or crutches: Try and borrow the equipment from the office of your doctor. Familiarity with these walking aids will help you use them properly after surgery.
• Solicit support from friends and family: It is tough to recover from hip replacement alone, without support from others. Make a plan early to enlist support of family and friends. If you live alone, find out whether someone can keep you company for a while. If you lack a support system, enquire from doctor whether you can recuperate in a rehab centre following your surgery.
• Make arrangements at home: You should re-arrange home before hand so that the home will be suitable when you return from hospital. Shift your sleeping room to the ground floor of the home. Arrange a ‘base camp’ in your home where you will  keep handy mobile phone, T.V. remote, computer and all else you need to use often, so that they are within easy reach. Ensure that it will be easy to move around in the house by removing obstacles like electric cords or loose rugs which may cause you to trip and fall, while walking with crutches or walker.

Also equip home with useful gadgets-elevated toilet seat, shower hose or sponge with long handles, stable chair or shower bench for bathing, reaching devices which will aid in holding objects without bending your hip and some firm and soft pillows to sit or lie down comfortably.

• Arrange finances: As per hip replacement cost India, keep ready money to pay for costs before, during, and after surgery. This includes ascertaining insurance payments.

These are some ways of preparing for hip replacement surgery.