Preparing For Surgery

Deciding to pursue a total joint replacement is a life-changing decision. That life change is almost always in a positive way; but rarely when a complication occurs, that decision can affect life in a negative way.

 

To make sure you have a successful surgery and excellent outcome from your joint replacement, our team chooses to be pro-active in preventing any problems before, during, or after surgery. To prevent any problems after surgery we make sure that we do a great deal of work before surgery. This is a joint effort, between both you, Dr. Deans' team, and other physicians and medical providers.

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At the time of signing up for surgery and selecting a date, this will set in motion a series of pre-surgical appointments, clearances, and education.

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This will include a combination of appointments we will help you arrange, as well as appointments we will ask that you arrange and report back results. For most patients, this will include a PCP's medical evaluation for the purpose of obtaining labs, physical examination, and providing guidance on management of any medical problems in preparation for surgery, as well as an evaluation by our anesthesia team for education and assessment for a safe and successful surgery event. 

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We will require that each patient has obtained a dental examination within 6 months of surgery to ensure there are no active dental concerns or infections that need treated prior to joint replacement.

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For those with subspecialists for any advanced medical cares (i.e. heart, lung, cancer, etc), we may ask the input of that subspecialist for their recommendations and medial appropriateness for surgery.

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Lastly, as part of Dr. Deans' team's preoperative work with you, we will provide extensive education on what to expect the day of surgery, how to prepare your home and your body for a successful surgery, arrange for obtaining needed durable medical equipment (i.e. cane, walker, shower chair, toilet riser, etc), schedule post-surgical home or outpatient-based therapy, and more. As part of the Preoperative Visit with Dr. Deans, you will receive preliminary education from one of our excellent physical therapy colleagues who will teach you exercises to do in preparation for surgery, as well as a few exercises to be performing after surgery.

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While preparation for surgery seems extensive, remember: every minute of pre-operative preparation is worth it to ensure a life-long, durable, successful joint replacement.