Joint Replacement
Have you exhausted all your other options and now you are considering surgery?
Did you know the need for total knee and hip replacements surgeries increase every year!
- Approximately 600,000 total knee replacements are performed in the United States each year.
- Approximately 350,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year.
- By the year 2030, it is expected that the demand for hip and knee replacement surgery will increase by more than 170% for those over the age of 45.
One of the most common causes of total hip and knee replacement is osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease (DJD). This occurs from wear and tear on the joints, from either an old injury or a previous infection. However, the exact cause of OA is unknown.
The purpose of having a joint replacement is to fix your hip or knee joint. Following joint replacement surgery, you can expect:
- Pain to be eliminated or decreased
- Joints to have better movement
- Daily activities to become easier
- Climbing stairs
- Walking
- Getting into and out of the car
Before surgery you will need to see your primary care physician for clearance to have your surgery and they will likely order physical and/or occupational therapy prior to surgery to regain strength in the muscles surrounding the joint. This will help make the recovery process easier.
Typically, patients are in the hospital for 24-48 hours following a joint replacement surgery. Follow up physician appointments and therapy referrals will be discussed. Your surgeon will recommend the most appropriate therapy setting based on your progress in the hospital and your functional abilities. This more than likely will include continued therapy in order to provide post-operative exercises, training on any restrictions, provision of any adaptive equipment and education and training for any needed compensatory strategies and home adaptations.
If you are planning on scheduling an appointment with your doctor to discuss the risk and benefits of pursuing surgery and/or need surgery but want to optimize your current functioning in the meantime, please check out rehabilitation at Felician Village.