Hip surgery is a major procedure. It aims at eliminating chronic hip pain. The treatment ultimately restores function and improves quality of life.
Effective preparations before Hip Arthroplasty are crucial. Consider this article. It touches upon the major aspects of such preparations.
Learn About the Surgery
Many people don’t know about hip replacement surgery in detail.
It makes such people afraid of the surgical procedure. Ignorance often breeds fears and false anticipations. Therefore, to dispel misconceptions, learn about the procedure.
Talk to your surgeon and they will offer you an elaborate explanation.
There are basically two types of hip replacements. One is called THR surgery. And, the second is called PHR surgery.
Under THR or Total Hip Replacement, a surgeon removes all the damaged parts of the hip. Once the worn-out and damaged sections are eliminated, a new joint is resurfaced. For resurfacing, the surgeon uses artificial parts, also known as an implant.
A standard hip replacement implant is made out of metal and plastic.
Generally, a hip replacement implant consists of the acetabular cup, a plastic spacer, a femoral head and a femoral stem. Your hip is a socket-and-ball joint. So, the acetabular cup goes into the socket while the rest of the components make up and mimic the original femoral head and neck.
Under Partial Hip Replacement or PHR, a surgeon only resurfaces the femoral head—the hip joint ball. The acetabulum, the socket part, of the hip remains intact.
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Ask Questions in Mind
Before surgery, patients have many questions. These may be as follows:
- How much time do I need for recovery?
- What happens during the surgery?
- How does it affect my work and personal life overall?
- How much time do I need before walking normally postoperatively?
- Do I have to use crutches?
- How long will I have to use an assistive device?
- Why do we need hip replacement surgery in the first place?
- And more…
So, don’t forget to enquire about all these queries when consulting your surgeon before the surgery.
Basically, people need hip replacement surgeries in the following conditions.
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Osteonecrosis
- Fractures
- Bone Tumour
Whether you need a Total Hip Replacement or Partial One is decided by your surgeon as per the prevailing condition.
Consider Impacts on Work
Sometimes, patients don’t analyse this factor well.
Hip replacement surgery does impact work. You may not want to attend work until you are fully recovered. Recovery time after hip surgery varies from person to person.
Yet, in general, one needs at least 2 months to fully recover after the surgery. So, you might have to take some time off from work. Thus, in this regard, it is better to plan leave from work in advance.
People with no prior experience with crutches, or an assistive device, find it difficult to use them after the surgery. However, not everyone needs it. Still, to reduce hassle, practise using a walking assistive device before surgery.
This might help make using crutches easier in the office. This way, you don’t need to make all the efforts after the replacement while you are recovering.
Reduce Weight
Pay attention to weight loss. If you are obese, it will impact the outcomes of surgery adversely.
Work on losing weight. And, start paying attention to strengthening your overall body. Good strength in the upper body makes it easier for patients after hip replacements to use crutches or walkers to go around.
To reduce weight, don’t eat more than necessary. Stop binge eating. Avoid junk foods as much as possible. Choose normal water over soft drinks and soda. Little precautions here and there will help reduce weight before your surgery.
Furthermore, include a variety of exercises and yogic postures in your workout routine. It will strengthen, balance and flex your body from all crucial dimensions.
Consume Healthy Meals
Food is one of the most essential things. For a healthy body, food is important. However, it is crucial that you only consume highly nutritious foods with all hygiene-related precautions.
Pay attention to your diet before surgery. A good and nutritional diet allows for a healthy body and thus effective outcomes postoperatively. This helps you recover faster than a malnourished body.
Although eating good food is crucial, overeating is a bane. It leads to obesity and post-operative complications.
Stay Hydrated
Ensure enough water for intake. Don’t forget to drink enough glasses of water a day. If you don’t do so, it will cause the problem of dehydration. Our body has so much water inside it in various liquid forms like the saliva in the mouth, the blood plasma in blood vessels, synovial fluid in joints etc.
So, for the proper functioning of biological functions, the body needs water. In the absence of water, your body gets strained. It might adversely impact the postoperative outcomes. And, you will also have a hard time getting out of the effects of anaesthesia after the surgery.
Quit Smoking
Don’t smoke if you are planning your surgery any time soon.
Smoking adversely impacts surgical outcomes. The research conducted by NIH, the National Library of Medicine came up with the following findings with respect to active smokers.
As per the research, smokers had to face:
- Increased complications after surgery, i.e., slow recovery, slow wound healing, etc
- Increased opioid use after surgery
- Increased risk of readmission postoperatively
Thus, if possible, quit smoking. If you find it difficult, consult an addiction specialist.
To refer to this research in detail, visit the links: https://bit.ly/4cTzxgE and https://bit.ly/3zUexYw
Abstain from Alcohol Consumption
Like smoking, alcohol also puts a patient at higher risk of all sorts of complications and trouble postoperatively. Consumption of alcohol hampers the body’s natural capacity to absorb essential nutrients from our diet or foods taken.
Research on the website of NIH states that excessive alcohol consumption causes health complications including late recovery after Total Hip Arthroplasty. To have a full read of the published article with such findings in the NIH journal, refer to the following link: https://bit.ly/464PG0q
Conclusion
Let’s discuss the key takeaways.
Your surgeon will educate you on the topic of preparation well before the operation. You will be given all sorts of information and instructions you need.
Thus, to prepare well, listen to the surgeon. Ask the questions you have in mind. To deal with forgetfulness, ensure that you have written all your queries on to a piece of paper.
Ultimately, have positivity in mind and factor in the advice given in this article. You can also discuss these points with your specialist for confirmation.
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