Preparing for Knee Replacement Surgery Preparing for a major surgery can be one of the most stressful events in one’s personal life. Everyone will react differently to the prospect of requiring surgery but there are a few things that a person preparing for knee replacement surgery should be informed about and know in order for them to fully prepare for the impending surgery. The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body making it one of the most important joints to a person’s mechanical movability. This also means, however, that it is one of the most susceptible joints to injury in the human body. Both naturally occurring but problematic diseases as well as traumatic injuries can be the cause for a knee replacement surgeon to prescribe a total knee replacement surgery. One such naturally occurring disease that most people will struggle with at some point in their life is arthritis.
Arthritis Arthritis can cause extensive damage to the knee joint and its surrounding cartilage which can cause extensive pain to the person as well as a restriction in the joints functionality. Knee replacement surgeons will advise their patients as to when a total knee replacement surgery is required but most individuals who undergo this procedure have found that they have significantly less pain or no pain at all in the surgically repaired knee joint as well as an increase in movement and function. When it is deemed a necessity, a person scheduled for a knee replacement surgery should consider the steps they can take to fully prepare for the upcoming procedure. First is to be as physical fit as possible. A healthy body will recover faster than an unhealthy body so a strict and healthy diet should be implemented as well as an exercise regimen put in place to ensure that the patient’s body is as healthy as possible before entering the operating room. If a person smokes this habit should also be stopped as smoking interferes with the body’s natural blood flow which will again delay and retard the post operation healing process. Additionally, all aspirin based medications should stop being used unless otherwise advised by your doctor or physician as these will thin the blood and result in added blood loss during the procedure. Instead, to manage pain, a prospective patient should take Tylenol or similar medication as prescribed by your doctor.
Knee Replacement Surgery and Blood Loss Talking blood loss a knee replacement surgery may result in significant blood loss to the patient. The surgeons will be prepared for this and precautions will be put in place but the patient can assist in this
preparedness by donating their own blood in a timely manner before the surgery date in the event a blood transfusion is required. This is not required as banked blood donated from screened volunteers will be available but some may find it comforting to donate their own blood for later use should the situation require it. A patient preparing to have a knee replacement surgery may also wish to modify items in their home, such as the bathroom or kitchen area, in a way that will assist them while they are recovering from the procedure. Making these and other preparations as advised by your physician or orthopedic surgeon will allow for the recovering patient of a knee replacement to mend quickly and effectively.