What to Expect With Your Joint Replacement Surgery

While everyone’s situation is different, here are some steps most people can expect to take before joint replacement surgery:

• See your primary care provider for medical clearance (labs and EKG), if needed.
• Get any radiology or imaging exams ordered by your Henry Ford surgeon.
• Meet with your surgeon to review your current health status and discuss your upcoming procedure.
• Review your current medication list with your surgeon. You may be advised to stop taking certain medications temporarily several days before your procedure.
• Review the before surgery, during surgery and after surgery instructions from your Henry Ford care team.

Remember, it is important to follow the instructions given to you by the hospital, doctor or doctor’s office the night before surgery.

• Wear loose-fitting clothes.
• Arrive at the hospital at the time you were advised.
• Before your surgery, you will meet with the anesthesiologist and nursing staff.
• Follow the specific instructions from your care team.

Everyone’s journey is unique to their treatment. While most people will go home the same day as their surgery or the next day, the length of stay can vary from person to person.

Your recovery and rehabilitation process plays a very important role in making your joint replacement surgery as successful as possible. By following the post-operative instructions given to you by your Henry Ford care team, you will ensure that you are back on your feet and can return to your normal activities quickly and safely.

Depending on your joint replacement surgery, you can expect the following after surgery:

• Instructions on what you can and cannot do immediately following surgery
• A follow-up appointment with your surgical team
• A physical therapy and/or occupational therapy treatment plan
• Information on any special medical devices or support aids you may need such as slings or braces

Research shows that people who go home after a surgery or hospital stay recover faster and have better results. Generally, people prefer to recover in their home with their families.

Other benefits include:

• Lower out of pocket costs
• Peace of having own space/bedroom
• Reduced risk of exposure to illness and less likely to develop infections
• Company from family/friends and pets
• Not confined to one room

Steps to going home

Planning begins as soon as you get to the hospital. Based on what you need, you’ll receive information about resources (nurse visits, virtual visits, physical therapy) that could be provided at home. This will also be the time to get any questions answered.

Our goal is to make sure that you:

• Have a clear plan and know what to do
• Understand the medicines that you need to take
• Have the services that you need at home
• Have the right support at home

Our team is constantly updating our protocols and procedures based on research and experience to benefit our patients’ experiences and outcomes. Our rapid recovery program allows people undergoing hip or knee replacements to recover faster with:

• Pre-surgical preparation: Through education, recovery planning, medical optimization and weight management.
• Surgical improvements: Including less-invasive surgical techniques, shorter or less-sedating anesthetics, no bladder catheters and multimodal pain management.
• Same-day discharge and physical therapy: With the above improvements, we can begin physical therapy faster, avoiding a hospital stay.
• Flexible, patient-centered rehab protocols: These are designed to fit each person’s specific needs, from a fully supervised recovery to a hybrid or fully self-directed rehab plan.